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POWER UP! opens itself up to gay menIf you've seen Itty Bitty Titty Committee or D.E.B.S., you've seen the fruits of POWER UP!'s labor. POWER UP! is a lesbian-film based non-profit organization that raises funds to put out films by gay female directors, writers and actors. Both Itty director Jamie Babbit and Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) are on the honorary board of directors, in good company with the likes of Debra Chasnoff.
Now POWER UP! has made a new surprising move: They are opening up the organization to gay men as well. Founder and executive director Stacy Codikow released a statement regarding why she felt that it was time to bring men into the organization: With the current climate, POWER UP saw this as a time, more than any other, where our GLBTQ community - Women & Men - needs to be unified to help achieve our collective goal of equality, representation and acceptance. POWER UP knows that we are in this together and is working to advance our collective interests. Elizabeth Keener (The L Word), Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) and Stacy Codikow And it's not just any gay men — it's the gay men of the entertainment industry: Dustin Lance Black (Oscar winner for the screenplay of Milk), Peter Paige (Queer as Folk) and Richard Greenblatt, the president of Showtime Networks are all now part of the Honorary Board of Directors. Talk about power players with some good taste in projects!
Every year, POWER UP! recognizes its 10 Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz. This year, they will also honor 10 Amazing Gay Men. Both lists of honorees will be announced on June 11, and the gala to honor them will happen in Los Angeles next November. What do you think of POWER UP! extending its reach to include gay men? Do you worry it might take away from the funding of lesbian-based projects? I can't help but be a little apprehensive, considering Itty was only their first feature length film. Submitted by on May 18, 2009 - 2:00pm. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
What I hear and see on a
What I hear and see on a local level in arts organisations is a need for female only projects, as there is more on offer to gay men. If this imbalance is mirrored in bigger plaing fields, like the LA movie scene, then I'd think it better if they built themselves up even more as a female only org first.
Unless they're hoping inlcuding gay men will bolster their profile. It feels like breakthrough lesbian films need more dedicated focus. Not to mention the discrepancy between the number of male roles to female roles in film/tv.
I write. You can read about it here: http://jamontoast1.blogspot.com
I Couldn't Agree More
Despite the gains women (both lesbian and straight) have made over the years, men still have significant socioeconomic advantages over women. Although people claim to be all for equality, women are grossly under-represented in business, politics, and the media.
Now that The L Word is off the air, where are we on TV? Why is it that I have to sift through dozens of gay male titles to find one or two lesbian themed movies? And don't even get me started about how the media reports on women, and why our clothing or hairstyles or sexuality are of grave importance to the story.
Yes, there are many occasions when it behooves us to work with our gay brothers, but we also need to build up our own community, because if we don't do it, nobody else will.
Diamond Members
uncertain...
I've always taken pride in women-centric organizations given that this is a very male-centric world but on the other hand, I also know the importance of our male allies (gay or not). I think this could work but I'm skeptical...
-MJ
Spread the RAINBOW!
http://mgayness.livejournal.com
Important
I think it's important to work together with our male counterparts - and I personally LOVE Peter Paige so it doesn't bother me.
Just so long as it doesn't get over-run with Gay male films, putting lesbians on the backburner like so many other GLBT organisations. Thats all I'm worried about.
This ^
I think it's a poor choice
I think it's a poor choice on their part. Gay male filmmakers don't seem to have any trouble finding financing for their films in comparison to women filmmakers. Evidence of this is seen at any queer film festival which is dominated by gay male films. You can also see it on the mainstream level with films like Philadelphia, Brokeback and Milk.
I'm thinking they made this particular move to include gay males in the organization b/c perhaps they aren't doing so hot as a non-profit right now. They know gay male films are more marketable so they opened it up to them in order to survive in this terrible economy.
I'm apprehensive too. More
Gay Money
Gay male films don't have as much of a problem getting financed because they don't have as much of a problem making money.
What you see as gay women doing gay men a favor could actually be the opposite. Why would they need to join Power Up! if they can go elsewhere?
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
Agreed
If Power Up! will be able to push through some big-time gay male films (as it seem they will be able to considering the big names they have with them now), then their name will get more recognition and it may be easier to push the female gay films. Also, couldn't there be movies with BOTH female and male gay roles? Oh wait, I forgot. The world would explode if LGBT men and women had to coexist, because we all know they never get along :P So tired of that false stereotype.
Also, are we ever going to see a push for the trans people in our community? Or is that just too scary to present to the big hetero-normative world?
Trans Films
Crying Game
Boys Don't Cry
Transamerica
Dog Day Afternoon
All really great movies.
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
Agreeing....
....that these are all great trans films, but movies about murderous or murdered trans characters are not exactly a fantastically representative view of the trans community...
Same Thing with lesbian films
The dead lesbian and the crazy lesbian are the usual cliches for lesbian characters.
I'm not trying to be dismissive, I just see it as we're all in the same boat. Gays and lesbians are responsible for lifting the whole community up. Sometimes it's not realistic to expect when none of us really has any footing.
As is the case with lesbian filmmakers trying to make films for which there is little market for. There's an even smaller market for trans films. It takes money to make a film, and the film has to be able to make the money back, plus some profit.
It is unfortunate that to get any attention from the mainstream, it's typically movies where straight people can feel sorry for us. :/
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
Yes, but
Hmm.
Crashing the Party
As one of last's years recipients Power Up's 10 Amazing Gay Women in Show Biz, I have to tell you, I'm not feeling the "this is going to be good for us" love. It feels more like a financial decision rather than one that will give lesbian entertainment a leg up.
Trust me, I understand the need to pay the bills -- look at Logo and Here who spend most of their dollars on programming for gay men. While the lesbians usually get a character or two in the shows for the boys, we almost always only get one show that is exclusively for us -- or we get relgated to the internet.
But we know how to use the effin' internet, that's for sure.
The people in power in the business are going to follow the money, they have to. And statistics show us that gay men spend more than us girls. Does that make us any less deserving or loyal, no... but it doesn't matter when you are trying to feed the machine. That's why we are an afterthought in most development and financial scenarios.
That being said, having one of the few organizations who's mission statement was dedicated to lesbian opportunity and visibility split their focus with the boys, bums me out.
Not mad, just sad...
Where are all the lesbian sugar mamas!! I've got a couple of great shows to pitch!
Do what you love, with those you love.
http://www.3waytv.tv/
http://www.inthelandofcocktails.com/
I spend money...
On Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action, Horror, Superhero genres. Have you ever seen a Xena Convention? No problem spending money there...
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
By Spending Money, I mean --
In the ways that it translates to advertisers. Of course we spend money, I'm supporting the liquor and horse racing industry in my spare time. But what networks look at is the stats on who is watching and buying the products advertised. And on the film side, who is buying DVDs and movie tickets. It's so complicated and the system is old school, for sure. But we have got to keep turning out the product and showing up -- so that shows like the L Word are not the exception, but rather the norm...
Do what you love, with those you love.
http://www.3waytv.tv/
http://www.inthelandofcocktails.com/
Unfortunately
this is a total "chicken or the egg" scenario.
certainly gay women tend to spend more as a community (and yeah i use this word at my own peril...flame away) but that would be due to wage discrimination as females.
most gay couples are DINKs (dual income no kids) and statistics bear out the fact that when you have a couple populated by two men they earn more than hetero couples, and also when you have a couple where there are two women than yeah they earn less than a hetero couple...
this also applies to television (as you've already so eloquently stated) but really i find it somewhat appalling that the most coveted demo is not a single one of us here, and by that i mean none of us are 18-34 year old men....the people who spend the most money in terms of ad dollars, followed closely by 18-34 year (skewed heavily towards the 18 end of things) females...
anyway, all this drunken ranting to agree with you and point out that if we as a community love something we need to throw a few dollars at it or at the very least a few eyeballs.....
Their Problem Really
How do we get them to understand that it's probably because their advertising sucks? LOL It seems to me a lot of advertisers just don't know how to make a commercial that targets lesbians. I've seen a few where I'm going...are they supposed to be a lesbian couple or...sisters?
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo