09/22/18
Kesha, "Here Comes the Change"
Kesha returns in grand form with the single and video for "Here Comes the Change," an inspiring anthem that, fittingly, is the theme to the forthcoming film On the Basis of Sex (out Christmas). That movie tells the story of the young Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who would go on to become the Supreme Court's second female justice and the court's unwavering feminist andLGBTQ ally. Anyone with a pulse will be inspired by Kesha's new anthem. Listen below.
Colette
Rule-busting bisexual writer Colette gets the attention she deserves in the new film from out director Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice). Keira Knightley steps into the titular role in Colette, as the woman behind the Claudine novels who enthralled Belle Epoque -era Paris -- even if her husband, Willy (played by Dominic West), took all of the credit. Colette was brash, sexy, and way ahead of her time, and her early novels, written under Willy's name, depicted a young woman's sexual awakening with kink and verve.
The biopic begins with Colette's marriage to Willy, her move to Paris from the country, and her rise as a star of any salon she attended. Westmoreland's film also follows Colette's sexual awakening as she proclaims and acts on her attraction to other women. Eventually, she and her husband embark on a polyamorous relationship, during which she takes female lovers.
Colette finally settles on one lover in particular, the wealthy Missy (Denise Gough), who dresses in men's clothes and uses male pronouns.
But beyond portraying Colette's lively personal life, the film is also a feminist treatise. Not only did Willy take credit for a woman's work, but he said he had to because a woman's work wouldn't sell -- a familiar refrain even today.
Colette is in theaters Sept. 21.
Fall TV Premieres
The fall TV season is ramping up and the upcoming week jam-packed with premieres of tried-and-true LGBTQ favorites as well as new shows with queer characters. Look for Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson as beloved diva coaches vying to find the best voice on the popular competition series The Voice on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the tear-jerking This Is Us's third season kicks off on Sept 25. Returning shows Empire, Modern Family, and Star premiere Sept. 26 as well as the new series Single Parents, which features queer characters. The following night, Sept. 27 is also loaded with LGBTQ-leaning favorites including the quirky The Good Place, Grey's Anatomy, Mom, and How to Get Away with Murder. If that's not enough, don't forget to check out the reboot of Murphy Brown, also premiering on the 27th.
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Jane Fonda in Five Acts
Could Jane Fonda be the world's most fascinating woman? Quite possibly. Her extraordinary life, which shows no signs of slowing down, is chronicled in the new HBO documentary, Jane Fonda in Five Acts. Filmmaker Susan Lacy captures the different periods in the actress and activist's life, which often paralleled the changes occurring in American society. The film premieres Monday at 8 pm Eastern.
Looking for Lorraine
Lorraine Hansberry is finally getting the recognition she deserves, with a PBS American Masters episode earlier this year and now the biography Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry. Hansberry is best known as the author of A Raisin in the Sun, the first play by a black woman ever performed on Broadway. But there was much more to her than that, as Perry's book demonstrates. Hansberry, who identified as lesbian, was a member of one of the nation's first lesbian organizations as well as being a passionate activist for African-American civil rights. "She wasn't just a genius as a playwright, she was a hardcore intellectual," Perry, a Princeton University professor, recently told the Chicago Tribune. Hansberry spoke about issues that remain relevant today, Perry added: "She talked about policing and racism a lot and her anger over that -- which certainly comes from her experience seeing how police officers failed to protect black people and often targeted and harassed black people." Order Looking for Lorraine here or visit your local bookstore.
Watch: Assassination Nation
Ever since a number of high profile actresses had their nude images leaked to the public, hacking has become a feminist issue. Assassination Nation is an indie film that delivers a necessary feminist response. Starring trans actress Hari Nef (you may recognize her from Transparent ), the satirical thriller follows a group of teen best friends who team up to survive after their entire town is hacked and goes to hell. Nef also improvised the soon to be iconic line "You're the bitch. I'm a feminist."
Assassination Nation arrives in theaters everywhere September 21, 2018.
Miami Dolphins Honor Save LGBTQ Leader
Tony Lima, executive director of Miami-based activist group Save LGBTQ, will receive the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award right before the Miami Dolphins' 1 p.m. home game against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday. Buy a ticket here and you'll receive a Save LGBTQ T-shirt and be entered into a raffle to stand on the field during the award ceremony. Dol-fans can cheer on their team and support LGBTQ rights at the same time.
