Gay Rights – Discover great gay stories.

New This Week – 7/10/20

A conservative professor at a Christian college finds himself in a gay support group to stop their launch of an LGBT homeless youth shelter in their small town. Face-to-face with the community he has been battling his entire career, he begins a journey of truth, revealing that life and love are not as black and white as he first thought. Watch ‘At the End of the Day’ on Dekkoo!

A young man on vacation searches for his identity while longing for affection. As he watches people on the beach he becomes aware of another young man dancing free. ‘Beautiful Alexander’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

This documentary tells the story of Reverend Frank Schaefer who was put on trial in the United Methodist Church for officiating his son’s same-sex wedding. ‘An Act of Love’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: An inner identity desperate to be released.

New This Week – 5/17/19

Robin Williams, in on of his final roles, plays a devoted husband in a marriage of convenience who is forced to confront his secret life. Stream ‘Boulevard’ now on Dekkoo.com!

Javi, a young man from East Los Angeles, is being harassed by his homophobic neighbor. As tensions escalate, he must decide whether to confront his tormentor or turn the other cheek. ‘Pitbull’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A young teacher Ernst falls head over heels in love with the transvestite star Robi Rapp and finds himself torn between his bourgeois existence and his commitment to homosexuality. ‘The Circle’ is now streaming on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: One woman, one man, a lot of weed, a little crying and absolutely NO sexual attraction whatsoever.

Pride Month Spotlight: This is What Love in Action Looks Like

Though he’s know primarily for films like Blue Citrus Hearts and his Dekkoo Original Series Feral, writer-director Morgan Jon Fox set out to make a difference with his 2011 documentary This is What Love in Action Looks Like.

When 16-year-old Zach Stark told his parents that he was gay, they panicked, believing that something was psychologically wrong with him. They soon sent him to “Love In Action,” a religious organization that promised to “cure” homosexuality.

Founded in 1973, Love in Action, now known as “Restoration Path” is the oldest and largest ex-gay organizations in the United States. They take the position that homosexuality is strictly behavioral and can be cured. Originally for adults, they began a program for teens, many of whom sent involuntarily.

Their draconian methods for sexual “redemption” prompted Fox, already a well-established indie filmmaker, to both become active in the ensuing protest against the group as well as document it all through interviews with several youths who had been in the program, the then current director of “Love in Action” (himself, a “former gay”) and the many young protesters who were compelled to mobilize against the organization.

An important look at gay youth, intolerance and skewed religious beliefs, This is What Love in Action Looks Like is available on Dekkoo. It’s one of our heralded Pride Picks.

New This Week – 6/30/17

A Spanish teenager is forced to abandon the safety of childhood (and his walking, talking teddy bear) for the troubling world of adulthood, sexuality and responsibility in this wildly original story. Watch ‘Animals’ on Dekkoo!

In the movie, ‘Kasal’, a gay couple, who resolve to stay together, is challenged as they attend a wedding.

‘It Gets Better‘ is a gay love story between Adam, a closeted jock, and Pierre, an openly gay boy, that revolves around peer pressure, bullying and acceptance.

‘The Abominable Crime‘ is a riveting documentary that explores the religious-based culture of homophobia in Jamaica through the eyes of gay Jamaicans forced to choose between their homeland and their lives.

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Coming next week – A true, self-told story about the same lifelong love we all hope for.

DEKKOO DISPATCH 021 – ‘OUT IN THE DARK’ AND ‘VICTORY DAY’

Title – ‘Out In The Dark‘

Director – Michael Mayer

Starring – Nicholas Jacob, Michael Aloni, Jameel Khouri, Alon Pdut

Release Date – September 27, 2013

Title – ‘Victory Day‘

Director – Alina Rudnitskaya

Release Date – 2014

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Happy #Covfefe day everyone! Today I want to feature two films that highlight the struggle of Non-U.S. attitudes towards LGBTQ rights and the people that have the bravery to stand up for love.

The short documentary ‘Victory Day‘ is a really touching look inside the lives of 6 LGBTQ couples living in Russia – a country that has time and time again refused to accept LGBTQ people as normal citizens. While homosexual sex was decriminalized in 1993, there are still no laws on the books that prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ citizens, meaning you can still be fired from a job or kicked out of your apartment. It’s also illegal to expose children to anything other than heterosexual relationships in books, movies, textbooks, etc. Since that law passed in 2013 (here we call it the ‘gay propaganda law’) there have been numerous arrests and censoring of Hollywood movies like the new ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

The short film goes into depth with the 6 couples about how they got together, their struggles with family, friends, and co-workers, and their views on the current political climate. The beginning of the short is definitely a bit chilling with the juxtaposition of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations consisting of tanks and soldiers with discussions of how long the couples have been dating, but overall it’s an uplifting journey because of the bravery of all 6 couples. If you’re curious about how normal LGBTQ people live their lives in Russia this is the doc for you.

Now we shift from Russia to Israel, a country that is unique in the Middle East for being very accepting of LGBTQ people. While you can’t marry inside the country you can be married somewhere else and then Israel will recognize that marriage. You can also adopt and anti-discrimination policies have been passed. However ‘Out in the Dark‘ decides to focus on the interplay of sexuality and politics between Israel and Palestine. The movie has a great combination of sexiness, political intrigue, and thrilling action.

The movie focuses on a cute, young Palestinian named Nimer. He studies Psychology and travels to Tel Aviv for his studies. His friend Mustafa introduces him one night to a ridiculously sexy Israeli lawyer named Roy. The differences between them are numerous – wealth, privilege, and citizenship to name just a few. But as in all the great romance movies they fall in love despite everything. Unfortunately things get complicated once
Mustafa gets caught by his Palestinian friends for being queer which then suggests Nimer might be queer as well. One of the most intriguing/disturbing facts about this film is it’s portrayal of how crossing over a simple border can completely change how society views you. You can be celebrated in Israel, but killed in Palestine.

However all seriousness aside, ‘Out in the Dark‘ is a stunner of a film. It played at almost every single LGBTQ film festival and has gotten rave reviews. It’s packed full of romance and action and it’s just an awesome film. Watch it tonight!

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Watch ’em with: Your friends who have no clue what’s happening outside of Rupaul’s Drag Race.

Mix it with: Russian Vodka.

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DEKKOO DISPATCH 009 – ‘BORN THIS WAY’

Title – ‘Born This Way‘

Director – Shaun Kadlec, Deb Tullmann

Release Date – June 21, 2013

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I really love it when there’s a queer documentary I’ve never heard of that can blow me away with it’s absolutely universal message of the importance of acceptance from places I’m completely unfamiliar with, like Cameroon. I didn’t even know where Cameroon was in Africa before watching this doc (FYI it’s on the west coast just to the east of Nigeria). ‘Born This Way‘ premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and continued on to win Best
Documentary at Outfest Los Angeles back in 2013.

In Cameroon it’s still completely illegal to be ‘out and proud’. In fact it’s illegal to even be ‘out’. Same-sex sexual activity is punishable by either a fine and 5 years imprisonment and what’s even worse is that vigilante execution is technically allowed by law. Cameroon also boasts the scary statistic of the most arrests related to homosexuality than any other country in the world! Of course even though the situation is extremely grim, there’s a ray of light; Alternatives, the first LGBT center in Cameroon. Though many of the chosen subjects have to convey their stories in shadows or with blurred
faces you’ll still feel the power of their stories of persecution and their hopes for the future.

Also a plus: this doc is only 55 minutes, so your time will be well spent!

‘Born This Way’ is now available to watch on Dekkoo!

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Watch it with: Your politically-minded friends

Mix it with: Cardamom Tea (Popular in Cameroon!)

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