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Hosted by Anthony Rapp, this months episode looks at the history of women in ACT UP, comic book creator Phil Jimenez and the compelling documentary 'The Congregation.' |
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The Women of ACT UP (00:13:05)"The Women of ACT UP", takes us back to the early 1980s, a time when lesbians and gay men appeared to be worlds apart. Their politics were different, they socialized separately, but then AIDS hit. The urgency of this crisis spurred many lesbians to join forces with their gay "brothers" to fight this disease. In 1987, the organization ACT UP was born out of anger at the government's passive response to AIDS. ACT UP quickly gained a reputation for its "in your face," aggressive tactics. Started by a small group of gay men, ACT UP soon became a home for lesbians who quickly understood that AIDS would soon spread beyond the gay community. Tonight, we feature the stories of some of the remarkable women who embraced the AIDS crisis as their own. |
A Cartoonists Life (00:18:55)The world of comic books is filled with gay metaphors---flamboyantly dressed superheroes with secret identities and mutant x-men rejected by society. Perhaps that's why so many gay artists are drawn to the medium. In "A Cartoonists Life" we meet Phil Jimenez, a successful and openly gay comic book creator who invited us behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of his imagination at work. |
Real to Reel: The Congregation (00:16:56)In 2003 veteran husband and wife filmmakers, Susan and Alan Raymond spent over a year documenting the daily life of a Methodist church and its parishioners in German Town, Philadelphia. Initially they concentrated on the senior pastor who was brand new to the church, but mid-way through their project an intriguing character suddenly emerged who grabbed their attention, Associate Pastor Beth Stroud. She was on the brink of telling her congregation that she was gay and in a committed relationship. The stakes were high: Beth Stroud fully appreciated that her "coming out" could cost her everything she had worked for. This story features excerpts from the Raymond's compelling documentary, The Congregation. |