Writer/director Joss Whedon on gay characters: “With Buffy I was very strict about the idea that you just couldn’t make somebody gay with magic. It would send a message that it’s a part of you that can be removed or cured, or that it’s some kind of punishment. We didn’t go there.”
Who inspires you? Milk filmmakers announce finalists in online contest. “The “Who Inspires You?” College Mosaic Contest, which was open to college students only, called for students to create a tile for the Milk mosaic (www.milkmosaic.com) – with full audio-visual capabilities and/or text-driven – commemorating their inspirations. Entry tiles were evaluated through the criteria of inspirational tone, creativity, and originality. Each entrant named a college organization to be gifted with prize money; a First Prize of $1,500 will be donated to the winning finalist’s selected organization, and a Second Prize of $1,000 will be donated to the runner-up finalist’s selected organization.” Vote HERE.
Orange County high school principal bans gay characters from school plays: “Mrs. Asrani (the principal) is firmly against the portrayal of homosexual characters in RENT, despite the fact that all displays of affection have already been edited out of our script. Of course, a gay couple kissing on stage should not be inherently more offensive than a straight couple kissing, but that’s beside the point (sort of).”
Melbourne, Australia’s weekly LGBT magazine, MCV, is donating all profits from its next issue to Victorian bushfire victims: “The bushfires have impacted on every Victorian’s life, whether they live in the city or in the areas ravaged by the fires. Most of us know someone who has suffered loss and there are many GLBTIQ people out there either fighting the fires directly or contributing their skills to help relieve suffering.”
Dallas County lesbian sheriff Lupe Valdez adds sexual orientation and gender identity to Sheriff’s Department non-discrimination policies: “While the city of Dallas has included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policies since 1995, this will be the the first department in the county government to include gender identity. The policy first went into affect in January, two months after Valdez was elected to her second term.”