Joe Caslin tackles Ireland’s steadfast refusal to legalize same sex marriage. Caslin’s art is printed out using biodegradable inks, then papered onto a suitably large surface. You can read about Yes Equality here. Caslin has also done a series, Our Nation’s Sons, dealing with mental health, depression, and suicide in Ireland’s men. Joe Caslin’s website is here, and there’s lot a lot to explore!
In an effort to dismantle the film industry’s historically stereotypical portrayal of Native actors in buckskin, feathers and painted faces, Los Angeles-based media professional and photographer Pamela J. Peters (Navajo) has created a series of photographs entitled Real NDNZ Re-Take Hollywood, in which contemporary Native American actors recreate classic Hollywood portraits of movie stars such as James Dean and Audrey Hepburn.
[…]
The seven Natives involved in the project include actors from the Dakota, Cherokee, Crow, Blackfeet, Shoshone, and Seminole nations. They are Noah Watts (Crow /Blackfeet), Shayna Jackson (Dakota / Cree), Deja Jones (Shoshone), Kholan Studie (Cherokee), Krista Hazelwood (Seminole), JaNae Collins (Dakota) and Brian Vallie (Crow).
“All participants have a passion to work in the film industry, but they also have ties to their tribal communities and enjoy sharing their respective backgrounds with each other,” says Peters.
“I would like people to think critically about my photos, and hear the young performers’ stories about how they navigate an extremely competitive field of entertainment. Furthermore, I want society to know that we are many nations, with many stories, and that we can make a conscious choice to reshape perceptions of modern Indians today.”
The showcase will take place at These Days LA at 118 Winston Street, Los Angeles, 90013 from Aug 4th to 7th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Information about the show can be found online. Her exhibit will showcase 24 images and a short video of her project. On Saturday, Aug 6th live art and drumming will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
More information about Pamela J. Peters can be found on her website: www.PamelaJPeters.com.
Via ICTMN.
For the most part, comic books have always kept relatively quiet in a self-contained corner of the entertainment landscape. It’s one of the most inclusive forms of media, dating back to the original X-Men being one big allegory for minorities of all kinds, looked down upon by society and forced to live as second class citizens.
Now, living in the most socially progressive age to date, comic books have flourished, their ever-present trend of inclusion benefiting from the change in global tone regarding the LGBT community, people of color, and other historically underappreciated groups.
In Alters, the first-ever superhero book with a central transgender protagonist by a mainstream writer (Paul Jenkins), a young woman, while transitioning from male to female, discovers she has great power. Now, faced with the discrimination transgender people face on top of that those with mutant-like powers face, life becomes doubly complicated.
The diversity in Alters is also found off the pages, in the team behind creating its main character, Chalice. “It means a lot to me to see trans people represented, especially so prominently,” said Tamra Bonnvillain, a trans colorist for Alters. “So many times in the past we’ve been represented as throwaway characters, and even a lot of more recent positive trans characters are in minor roles.”
Alters #1 goes on sale September 7.
Via Out.
Via Out.
Every year for the past 29 years, the Gays in Comics panel has graced a stage at Comic-Con International, the annual celebration of pop culture held in San Diego. During this time the convention has expanded from a comic books-only focus to include other mediums like TV, film, and games. And the presence of LGBT people, once relegated to that single panel, has exploded to a point where every day offers a variety of queer content and the breadth of topics continues to grow. Here are some of the best things about 2016, Comic-Con’s queerest year yet.
[…]
You Don’t Even Have to Be in the Convention Center: One of the best things about this year’s Comic-Con? You don’t need a ticket to take advantage of some events and panels. Organizers have long recognized that the demand for Comic-Con tickets far exceeds availability (as does demand for space for exhibits and presenters). Over the years there’s been a growing number of events outside of the convention hall — including in local bars and even the public library (see above for examples). This year Comic-Con has launched this access into hyperspace by introducing a new premium digital network, ComicConHQ. In association with Lionsgate, the service will live-stream select Comic-Con panels and make others available later; it will also offer classic sci-fi and fantasy titles, and it reportedly has original programming in the works, including scripted series and news shows.
This is a long list, people! Stuffed with great events and panels. Wish I was there. Click on over to The Advocate for the full scoop.
In an effort to keep that momentum going with a new Indigenous host each week covering a variety of topics, and due to her diligence in bringing awareness to Indigenous issues, ICTMN’s UK-based correspondent Lisa J. Ellwood (Nanticoke-Lenape) has been invited to host its Canadian version, @IndigenousXca, July 14th – starting at 7pm ET – through July 21st.
[…]
Ellwood’s week as host kicks off with a look at her “Comprehensive Report on MMIW: The Curiously Different Tales of Violence against Indigenous Women On Both Sides of Turtle Island” story.
Follow ICTMN Correspondent Lisa J. Ellwood on Twitter at @IconicImagery and on her week-long account at @IndigenousXca.
Full Story at ICTMN.
The National Center for Transgender Equality is part of Fairness USA, a partnership that includes the Freedom for All Americans Education Fund, the Movement Advancement Project, the Equality Federation, the Equality Ohio Education Fund, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Today we are launching a major public education campaign — the first of its kind — to raise awareness of the need for protections for transgender people across the United States.
The centerpiece of the campaign is an ad that will be aired during the Republican National Convention. The ad depicts mistreatment and harassment that many transgender people across the country have faced and continue to face when they need to use the restroom.
Newly released survey data from NCTE shows that 59 percent of transgender people have avoided bathrooms in the last year because they were afraid of problems like being confronted by others. A shocking one in 10 (12 percent of) transgender people report they have been harassed, attacked, or sexually assaulted in a bathroom in the last year, and one-third of transgender people have avoided drinking or eating so that they did not need to use the restroom. In the majority of states, restaurant and store managers can legally stop transgender people from using bathrooms that match the gender they live as every day — or kick them out of their restaurant or store just for being transgender.
This is appalling, but we are no longer fighting this battle alone. Much like the state-by-state marriage equality battles, we have seen that when people get to know their LGBT colleagues, neighbors, and friends for who they are, their opposition weakens and their support grows. Today, as more transgender men and women step forward to tell their stories, and parents advocate for their transgender or questioning children, negative attitudes are challenged and hearts and minds open up. In truth, we’re a mishmash community like everyone else — some of us are raising children, most of us are regular working folks, and some of us are serving in the military.
Those who support us see us for who we are – people. And in the same way that they’ve opened their hearts and minds, so too have voters across the country. Just last month, Quinnipiac University released findings from three swing states in the presidential race — Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — showing that support for transgender people is on the rise.
I think that’s a great ad, and it shows all people what we need to do – to view and treat all people as people. When we see someone’s rights being blocked, we need to step in and stand up.
Full story here.
Signal boosting an important message.
Speaking our truth! The #TransEmpowered women featured in the new Empowered campaign from Greater Than AIDS get real about love, life, and HIV.
There are more videos here. Watch, listen, share. This is important. No, it’s more than that, it’s crucial. Face time makes all the difference. Many people don’t know a transgender person, which makes it easy for them to hold on to their bias. Sharing these videos will help people to understand that bias, and overcome it. This is a very simple way to help enact great change. Please, do your part.
Credit: Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort.
July 25th – 13th Annual Ironworkers Festival.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort hosts the annual Ironworkers Festival to celebrate past and present ironworkers. For more than 130 years, the Mohawk have been known for their ability to work high steel, and for their enormous contribution to shaping New York City’s skyline.
Each year, Ironworkers travel from throughout the Northeast to compete for the top prize of “Ultimate Ironworker,” in the skills competition which awards $6,500 in cash prizes. The funds raised through registration fees and t-shirt sales are donated to the Local 440 Ironworker Benefit Fund, which provides emergency relief to Ironworkers. The event is family friendly, so bring your whole crew out for a great day! Hogansburg, NY. http://mohawkcasino.com/events/ironworkersfestival/
August 17th – 22nd – 98th Annual Crow Fair. Crow Fair 2016 Poster.
Crow Fair, called the “Tipi Capital of the World,” is an annual event held the third weekend in August on the Crow Reservation in Montana. It is one of the largest Native American events in North America and is run by a committee of the Crow tribe. Crow Fair combines a celebration of Crow culture, reunion of family groups, powwow, rodeo, horse racing, and commercial vendors. Native Americans of various tribes and many non-Indian people, including visitors from around the world, gather to celebrate and enjoy themselves. There may be 1,000 tipis, along with wall tents, pickup campers, trailers, and mobile homes. Each family has its own camp area, and people visit and eat under arbor shades and awnings.
Image: Star Trek Beyond poster, Paramount
Sulu Is Gay in Star Trek Beyond and It’s Not a Big Deal.
Or, at least, Star Trek Beyond is presenting it like it’s not a big deal and praying fans follow suit.
The news comes from the Australian paper the Herald Sun, which says that the movie—rightfully—treats Sulu’s private life, in which he has a male partner and a child, as no big deal. (This daughter had better be Demora, is all I’m saying. Because Demora is awesome and deserves to exist in the alternate universe, too.)
According to John Cho, the decision was of course a nod to the original Sulu, everyone’s favorite Facebooking dad, George Takei. “I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one’s personal orientations,” Cho told the Herald Sun.
YES! Full story here.
Gay Pothead Zombies, aka Christians in disguise.
Adorable, aren’t they? Unfortunately, what they were doing, not so adorable. As usual, Christians once again prove they have no compunction whatsoever about being dishonest and deceitful, in order to spread their lies for Jesus.
Yes, as reported by Lifesite News, those at the Toronto Gay Pride parade thought they were getting free condoms and some helpful sex tips. They should have realized something was up when Gay Zombies Cannabis Consumers Association was the group trying to do that.
Instead, they were getting fake condoms and info packets that told of the “physical and spiritual dangers of homosexual practices” from a group of Christians in disguise.
Bill Whatcott was leading the charge and the group, better known as GZCCA, as they registered for the parade under that named. They figured it would be easier to pass their message along if they were in disguises that included rainbow tutus and rainbow flags worn as capes.
The group had a couple of specific goals in mind, and the first was to be prophetic and unambiguous witnesses against the celebration of homosexuality. As if that wasn’t enough, they had a second reason for coming together, and it was to offer those partaking in homosexuality a way out.
That way out was to repent and turn to Jesus Christ so that they could be saved. Dressing in the costumes and appearing as gay pothead zombies was a move that Whatcott called “a bit creative” since it allowed them to hand out pamphlets to thousands of people instead of just a small few.
“I asked them if they wanted ‘Zombie safe sex.’ Everyone loved it. But, if you try to give out a Gospel pamphlet, they swear at you and throw slushies on your forehead. But, give them some wackadoddle thing that looks like a condom, and they really can’t grab it fast enough. I had three thousand out in 20 minutes.”
Whatcott’s blog, Free North America, has more pictures of the GZCCA handing out the fake condoms and pamphlets. There are also some looks at the pamphlets, but be warned that many of the images could be considered quite graphic.
Many of the images on Whatcott’s pamphlet show some of the diseases that are associated with homosexuality such as AIDS and numerous others. He believes that people who are attracted to the same sex need to know the medical facts about the practices they are partaking in.
“We don’t feel that this message should be closeted and that we should be bullied into silence.”
Mr. Whatcott, you were never bullied into silence. Christians such as yourself barely shut up long enough to breathe. As you don’t want to be closeted and silenced, you should perhaps have a great deal of empathy for those are repeatedly bullied in an attempt to silence them and shove them back in a closet and lock the door. Shame on you, not only for your deceit, but the lies and misinformation you spread.
Via Inquisitr.
Niles Aserat, a Navajo veteran, would like a little help to see that Code talkers receive the honour they more than earned, and deserve.
As so often happens in our American history books, the contributions of a group of volunteer Native servicemen called code talkers, has been severely understated. Code talkers were our warriors doing what they have always been inspired to do – protect their homeland, families and culture. Despite having often been harshly treated for speaking in their Native languages, these warriors valiantly served for the United States and by using their beautiful Native languages these hero soldiers became pivotal in helping to win two of the most crucial wars in U.S. history – World Wars I & II.
The buzz this 4th of July is a petition to get a National Native Code Talkers Day on the radar of the U.S. Senate. The campaign was begun by Vietnam Veteran and Navajo Elder, Niles Aserat. Now a resident of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Niles grew up on the Navajo reservation in Sanders, Arizona. Niles joined the Army in 1966 and saw firsthand the brutality of war. He and only one other man in his brigade of 178 men, survived a vicious ambush at the infamous battle of Hamburger Hill.
After reading a book about code talkers, Aserat found himself inspired to spread the word about their amazing contribution and self sacrifice which turned the tides of war in the favor of the U.S. During WWII, military Marine Corp recruiters visited the Navajo reservation and understanding the threat facing their homeland from foreign invaders again, the first group of 29 brave warriors volunteered and developed a sophisticated code which was never deciphered by the enemies.
The story at ICTMN is here. The Petition: National Day for All Native American Code Talkers. The website for the petition: Native Code Talkers.
