GLR September-October 2025

Exhibitions Enigma (Zackary Drucker) Docu. about the lives and legacies of disco queen Amanda Lear and trans trailblazer April Ashley, who navigated public scrutiny of their identity in contrasting ways. Franklin (Donta Morrison) Drama whose title character is an as piring Black film actor facing his parents’ disapproval and the inconvenient truth of being in love with another man. Jimpa (Sophie Hyde) Drama finds a nonbinary teenager moving in with her gay grandfather in Amsterdam. Reviewed in this issue . Lavender Men (Lovell Holder) Dramedy in which the stage man ager for a play about Abraham Lincoln daydreams an elaborate story about Abe’s same-sex love affair. Pee wee as Himself (Matt Wolf) TV docu. in two eps chronicles the life of Paul Reubens and his alter ego Pee-wee Herman. Sauna (Mathias Broe) Danish drama charts the arc of an affair be tween a knockout party boy and a trans man. Reviewed in this issue . Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror (Linus O’Brien) Docu. by the director’s son takes us from the West End musical to the midnight film sensation. Reviewed in this issue . Manifest Pussy Rock musical follows the irreverent Shakina on a pilgrimage to Thailand for gender confirmation surgery. At the Di versionary Theater in San Diego, Sept. 17–Oct 12. The Hot Wing King Comedy-drama follows Cordell, his boyfriend, and their pals in Memphis as they prepare for an annual culinary contest. At the NCTC in San Francisco, Sept. 19–Oct. 19. A Streetcar Named Desire Production of the classic drama reminds us that Blanche DuBois came to New Orleans after her homosexual husband’s suicide. U. of MI-Flint Theatre, Sept. 19–Oct. 5. Oh, Mary! A campy take on Lincoln’s last days, as Mary Todd (played by Tituss Burgess) longs to be a cabaret singer while serv ing as Abe’s beard. Ongoing at the Lyceum Theatre in NYC. Theater / Dance Queer Lens: A History of Photography Nearly two centuries of LGBT history in a survey of 270+ photos by artists both famous and unknown. Getty Museum in L.A. thru Sept. 28. Gustave Caillebo tt e:Pain ti ng His World Explores the Impression ist painter’s body of work, including his homoerotic paintings of men. At the Art Inst. of Chicago thru Oct. 5. Bayard Rus ti n: Breaking Barriers, Building Movements The life and works of the gay Civil Rights activist. Stonewall Museum & Archive, Ft. Lauderdale, Oct. 17–Dec. 31. LGBT Jews in the Federal City Explores a century of life & activism in the U.S. capital, with photos, artifacts, and oral histories. At the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, thru Jan. 4, 2026. Shape Shi ft Works by Scott Burton, who died of AIDS at age 50, include sculptures, photographs, and a video of his performance art. At the Wrightwood 659 in Chicago, Oct. 3–Jan. 31, 2026. C ALL FOR S UBMISSIONS – T HE G&LR The Gay & Lesbian Review accepts unsolicited manuscripts and proposals on all LGBT-related topics. Especially sought are propos als on the following themes for issues in development: • Ethnographic Journeys: Queer lives in non-Western cultures • The Kink Issue: Alternative sexualities • Harbingers: Before the “gay novel” was invented... Please e-mail your proposal to: richard.schneider@GLReview.org

Cultural Calendar

Readers are invited to submit items at no charge. Must have rele vance for a North American readership. Allow six weeks’lead time for any listing. E-mail: stephen.hemrick@GLReview.org

Festivals and Events

F ILM F ESTIVALS Los Angeles CinePride Film Fest, Sept. 11–14. Winnipeg, Manitoba Reel Pride Film Fest, Sept. 17–21. Chicago Reeling Film Fest, Sept 18–Oct 5. Palm Springs, CA Cinema Diverse Film Fest, Sept. 18–28. Tulsa,OK Twisted Arts Film Fest, Sept. 24–27. Winston Salem,NC Out at the Movies Film Fest, Oct. 2–5. Pi tt sburgh, PA Reel Q LGBT Film Fest, Oct. 3–11. St. Paul, MN Flip the Script Queer Film Fest, Oct. 3–11. Los Angeles Queer Film Fest, Oct. 9–12. Rochester, NY ImageOut Film Fest, Oct 9–19. New York City Newfest LGBTQ+ Film Fest, Oct. 9–21. Albuquerque, NM Way OUT West Film Fest, Oct. 10–19. San Diego, CA FilmOUT Fest, Oct. 15–19. Ft. Lauderdale & Miami Outshine Film Fests, Oct. 16–23 & 24–26. Salt Lake City, UT Queer Film Fest, Oct 24–26. E VENTS NLGJANa ti onal Conven ti on Assoc. of LGBTQ + journalists will con vene in Atlanta, Sept. 4–7. Visit: nlgja.org/2025convention/. Circa Queer Histories Fest. Sponsored by ONE Inst., features 60+ programs on LGBTQ + history & culture. In L.A. at the LGBT Ctr., Oct. 1–31. Check out: www.Circafestival.org. GLMAConf. For healthcare professionals, researchers, etc. In Min neapolis, Oct. 9–11. glma.org/glmas_annual_conference_on_lg.php. Workplace Summit Out & Equal’s annual conf. to promote work place equality for LGBT people. In Seattle, Oct. 13–16. For info: Outandequal.org/2025-workplace-summit. TransWeek Workshops, events, and networking for members of the transgender community. In Provincetown, MA, Oct. 19–26. Go to: ptowntourism.com/events/transweek2025. Lesbian Lives British conf. crosses the Pond for “Lesbian Int’l: Creating Networks of Knowledge across Space & Time.” C LAGS at CUNY, Oct 24 & 25. sinisterwisdom.org/lesbianlives2025. Feature Films Before We Forget (directed by Juan Pablo & Di PaceAndrés Pepe Estrada) Argentinian drama finds a filmmaker struggling to finish a movie about his unrequited first love with another young man. BlueMoon (Richard Linklater) Biopic stars Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart—who struggled with alcoholism, mental instability, and being gay—as he tries to hold it together for the opening of Oklahoma! Cactus Pears (Rohan Kanawade) Indian drama follows the city dwelling Anand to the village in which he grew up, where he re connects with a local farmer. Reviewed in this issue . Dreams (Sex Love) (Dag Johan Haugerud) Drama about a teenage girl who falls in love with her French teacher. Reviewed in this issue. Drive Back Home (Michael Clowater) Drama stars Alan Cumming as a gay man whose estranged brother agrees to bail him out of jail in Toronto and drive him to his home in New Brunswick.

September–October 2025

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