GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE June 18, 2004

eveni

Summer reading begins

with a Pride Month trio

by Anthony Glassman

The down-filled comforter of Pride Month has descended across Ohio, bringing with it a myriad of events across the state.

With bear camps, volleyball and bowling tournaments, cruises, parties, festivals, parades, drag softball games, concerts and dance parties, who has the time to read?

Of course, not all books are necessarily about reading. In the case of many books, a picture tells a thousand words. Others are packaged in easy-to-digest morsels, so that progress can be made whenever one has a free minute.

The first of a trio of Pride Month volumes, Mirror of Love by Alan Moore and José Villarrubia (Top Shelf Productions, $24.95), is a fascinating work.

A reprint of an epic poem by top comic book writer Moore, responsible for From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it was originally presented in an anthology to fight Britain's Section 28.

The measure, passed

Wilde's words, "the love that dare not speak its name."

Love spoke up at city hall for a month this past winter, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered county officials to allow

GAY CINEMATHERAPY

The furst Bug's Guide in Finding Yeui Kalshere Ene Mavir al 2 (inte în

We Do

LEBRATION OP

in 1986 and repealed last year, barred school districts in Britain from teaching anything that "promoted homosexuality," meaning anything that wasn't anti-gay. In the original anthology, created by some of England's top comics writers and artists, Moore's poem was illustrated by artists. For this version, it is supplemented with the photographs of José Villarrubia, tracing the history of same-sex love from the Classic era through the modern day. Lush, exquisite photos fill the pages as Moore's writing takes the reader through over 2,000 years of, in Oscar

GAY AND LY

same-sex

couples to marry.

While the legality of his actions is currently before the courts, We Do: A Celebration of Gay

and Lesbian Marriage, edited by Amy Rennert (Chronicle Books, $19.95), is a picto-

setts marriages that started in May were not included. But the book will forever be a perfect snapshot of a moiment when a maverick mayor stood up and said that he would not allow his constituency to be second-class citizens any longer.

Beyond any political ramifications of Newsome's risky stratagem, one thing is clear in every single photo: At the heart of the issue, and in the hearts of all the people involved, is love.

At the risk of sounding cynical, the flip side of love is the blues, and that is where the third new release comes in.

Jason Bergund and Beverly West's Gay Cinematherapy (Universe, $15.95) is a fastpaced, quick-witted look at the movies that provide succor to gay men and lesbians when

Mirror

off

by Aline Glove & Jos

rial record of those heady days of February and March. Newsom himself provided the foreword for the book, which contains pictures from over 30 photographers.

"Growing up in an Irish-Catholic household in San Francisco, I was taught that a loving commitment between two people was the foundation of a strong marriage," Newsom writes. "I was also taught that discrimination was wrong."

To get the book into print in time for Pride Month meant that the fully legal Massachu-

the school of hard knocks has

given

them an F;

when, like At-

las, the weight of the world is on their shoulders and it just might be time for a little shrug.

The subtitle of the books is The Queer Guy's

Your

Guide to Finding Rainbow One Movie at a

Time,

but

much of the advice is certainly as applicable for women as for men.

There's a little something for everyone in here, and interspersed with the synopses of the films are notable quotations, recipes for fun, and nuggets of advice for the lovelorn, needy, homebound or hidebound.

Of the three tomes, this is certainly the most fun. The recipes, including the "home facial bar" party tip, would be a blast to try

out.

So, in between dancing, marching, pitching, bowling and any of the thousands of other Pride Month activities, take some "me" time and head to the local LGBT bookstore, pick up a good book, and realize just what there is to be proud of.

Dykes Towatch Out For by Alison Bechdel

Shameless

6/16

SAMIA

HAS UNWITTINGLY

AGREED TO TEACH ARABIC

TO ONE OF

GINGER'S

RIGHTWARD-

LEANING STUDENTS.

HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW SHE WAS THAT CYNTHIA? SHE SEEMED PERFECTLY NICE ON THE PHONE.

KERRY

2004

SMIRNOE

SHE'S ALWAYS TRYING TO UNDERMINE MY AUTHORITY. I FELT OBLIGED TO TELL HER YOU WERE MY FRIEND. BUT I DON'T WANT THAT LITTLE MCCARTHYITE TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE, OKAY?

BUD LIGHT) PRIDE 2004

FREEDOM TO MARRY

SO I SHOULDN'T MENTION YOUR PREDILECTION FOR CROOKNECK SQUASH?

MEANWHILE...

HEY, MO! ARE YOU GOING TO PRIDE? COME WITH US.

ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO GAY SHAME.

IT'S AT THE OTHER END OF THE PARK, TO PROTEST HOW PRIDE HAS GOTTEN SO CORPORATE. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT MORE INCLUSIVE, THOUGH. AMERICAN SHAME!

I'LL BE

PROUD

WHEN

EXCELLENT.

BUSH IS

GONE

evildoer

HONK

442

HEY, GUYS. HOP IN! I'LL DRIVE YOU

TO THE PARADE.

THANKS, JUNE!

THAT'S YOUR MOMMY'S EX. CAN YOU SAY "EX?"

UH...BUT WE HAVE THE BABY AND

EVERYTHING.

OKAY! SEE YA! I'LL BE PULLING THE LGBT TECH PROFESSIONALS' FLOAT!

WHATEVER IT COSTS TO FILL THAT THING UP, IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

DON'T LET US STOP You. GO RIDE IN THE PRIDEMOBILE IF YOU WANT. WE'RE GOING TO SHAME.

WHY ARE YOU BEING SO PARANOID? SHE KNOWS YOU'RE A LESBIAN.

IN THE PARK... IT'S CYNTHIA! WHAT'S SHE DOING HERE?! TAKING NAMES FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT?, Kiss FM LIGHT

CLEAR CHANNEL

COMMUN

Gay & Les

Chambe

Comme

GEH.

BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW YOU'RE MY GIRLFRIEND.

LET'S GIVE HER ATHRILL.

SAMIA!

DR. JORDAN?

www.DykesToWatchOutFor.com

www.georgebush.com Search for “gay” Find O results

(are JLBT Americans invizible?)

www.johnkerry.com Search for "gay" Find 42 results

(one candidate knows where to find us)

Paid for by the Cleveland Stonewall Dernocrats, Patrick Shepherd, President, 12931 Shaker Blvd., Cleveland, 44120

Statistics as of 6/4/04

DSD