James Franco Plays Gayface
Update: So there’s no confusion I wanted to update this to explain that when I use the term “gayface” I’m not talking about physical features. I’m talking about a straight actor…or anyone else…pretending to be gay for various reasons. There’s an article about playing gayface here. Think of it as an actor playing blackface, or yellowface…when white actors either play Asians or African Americans.
There seems to be something underlying happening between James Franco and some in the media. Although Franco wants as much attention as he can get to self-promote, he seems to want that attention on his own terms and the media doesn’t always play that game. And it is a game. If and when they want to give attention, it’s on their own terms. When the two clash it becomes a circus of sorts and you wind up with Gawker making silly insinuations about James Franco being gay, and Franco pretending to be gay to get even with them. Of course the gay people don’t really matter in this particular game because no one takes into consideration that we’re the targets of this passive aggressive homophobia.
Just days after Gawker insinuated that James Franco and actor Scott Haze are romantically involved, Franco joked on Instagram that he has moved on – with Zachary Quinto.
Franco posted a photo of he and Quinto on Instagram over the weekend with the caption: ‘My new lover, SPOCK! zacharyquinto.’
Franco and Quinto are playing gayface in a new film called, Michael, because, you know, they’re both so supportive of us simple gay folk.
You can read more here. By now, it’s pointless to even comment on this. If I wasn’t so lazy I’d go back and delete a good review I posted for Franco’s book on Amazon. But it was an honest review.
Robin Williams and Gays
Not every straight actor who plays gay treats the LGBTI community with the kind of careless, privileged attitude James Franco does. And instead of posting the typical RIP note about the late Robin Williams I thought I’d make a comment on how much he did for the LGBTI community. And he did it with humor, with tears, and with such simple good taste I’m not sure anyone will ever be able to duplicate it.
The film, The Birdcage, was only one of the great achievements in his short lifetime. He not only did it well, he promoted it even better. He gave us hope, he made us laugh, and he treated us just like everyone else. If he made a gay joke it was because he was laughing with us, not at us. There’s a difference. And, most important, never once did I see Robin Williams exploit the LGBTI community to gain attention for himself or for anything he was promoting.
Here’s a heartfelt link to an article that I agree with completely. The last line in particular is the most important because the author is referring to his feelings about seeing Robin Williams in The Birdcage when he was terrified of being gay.
For me, I will always remember the man who made it okay for me to be me for the first time in my adolescence.
RIP, Robin Williams.
Uganda: Prison 4 Gays
Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament in Uganda, is pushing to bring back anti-gay laws making “homosexuality” and “promoting homosexuality” punishable with imprisonment.
David Bahati, the original author of the bill, as said: ‘We shall not get tired of defending the future of our children.’ Lawmaker Latif Ssebaggala said: ‘We want to ensure everybody that we have not backtracked.
We are still on course and in fact we are more energized that our culture, our norms, our religious norms are protected.’
I guess this bunch of fools don’t realize they’re harming their own gay children.
There’s more here.
Gay PE Abuse
This is interesting because I think many gay people can relate to it…of all ages. Or, at least since the late 1950’s when PE started to infiltrate out schools.
A shocking number of LGBTI students suffer discrimination during PE at school, a new report has found.
Four out of five pupils have said they experience casual homophobia in physical education lessons.
Actually, I agree this number is correct, but I also think a lot of other kids suffer discrimination, too. What about overweight kids? Or those who aren’t the best athletes?
Our schools are set up with a system where only the most mainstream and the most average seem to get through unscathed. PE should be an elective, not a requirement. That point is not up for debate with me.
