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Thursday, May 16, 2013

Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia #HAHAT


Happy Friday, friends! I'm so proud to be part of this year's Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, just one of many authors and bloggers talking about this very important topic. Today, May 17, is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. (Click here to learn more!) 

We're all influenced by what we read, and what we see in movies and on television. One of the first movies I remember seeing that featured a gay character was Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. The two stars played friends who ran a girls' school and whose reputations were destroyed by a vicious child who spread rumors about them having an "unnatural" relationship. Though the girl's lies were eventually exposed, it still doesn't prevent a tragic ending, when Shirley's character realizes she truly is in love with Audrey.

It seems like in the bad old days, gay characters in film were either stereotyped objects of ridicule or had to be punished for their orientation by dying. And transgender characters didn't even exist.
Thank goodness times have changed and modern movies and books that feature gay and trans folks don't always have to end sadly. In fact, I'd like to share one with you that I really enjoyed.

Ma Vie en Rose is a Belgian film about a transgender/gender variant seven year old named Ludovic who calls himself a "garconfille" (boygirl). When he first appears on screen, he's put on a dress, a necklace and lipstick to meet the neighbors in the family's new neighborhood. His parents uneasily laugh off Ludo's appearance as a joke, but Ludo couldn't be more serious. He believes he's going to grow up to be a girl.

Ludo's parents try to be understanding. His father plays soccer with him, trying to get him into stereotypical "masculine" pursuits. They go to counseling with him. The scene in the counselor's office is very telling. Ludo wants to please his parents and when he asks if he can play with some of the toys in the office, he picks up a truck, but his gaze is locked on the dolls. We know what he really wants to play with.

Through a series of mishaps, the neighborhood turns against Ludo and Ludo's entire family. Ludo's father loses his job and the family is forced to move. Ludo's mom takes this the hardest and in a moment of anger, blames Ludo for everything that's gone wrong. He's crushed.

Throughout the film, Ludo does a lot of daydreaming and is fascinated with a Barbie-like doll called Pam. He even imagines being rescued by Pam and going off to live in her dream house. Happily, though, Ludo's parents rally and realize how important it is to accept him for whom he is. Though there are bumps in the road, this story has a happy ending. If you're looking for a sweet, funny, thoughtful story about love, family and acceptance, you're sure to enjoy Ma Vie en Rose.

Now as my prize for the blog hop, I'm offering a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card that you can use to purchase Ma Vie en Rose or another lgbt themed DVD or book of your choice. I will also make a $25 donation to the lgbtq organization of your choice. For a chance to win, please just leave a comment and tell us your favorite lgbt themed film or favorite gay or trans character from film or television. 

The winner will be selected randomly on May 28 (the day after the blog hop ends) and announced on the blog. I will also contact the winner directly, so PLEASE make sure to include your email addy with your comment!

There are plenty more awesome blogs to visit in this hop against hate! Please click the link below to check them all out! There are fun and prizes galore! 


Thanks so much for stopping by and hopping against hate!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Nona Raines

Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com


35 comments:

  1. I loved Brokeback Mountain and Jack from Will & Grace! Thank you for participating and for the chance to enter!
    wendynjason04(at)gmail(dot)com

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  2. Hi Wendy, thanks for stopping by! I loved Brokeback Mountain, too. Wasn't Heath Leger heartbreaking in that? And I agree, Jack was a great character! Good luck in the giveaway!

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  3. Thank you for taking part in the hop!

    I love a variety of LGBT movies, from Brokeback Mountain and Boys Don't Cry to Too Wong Foo and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Seeing positive LGBT characters in media brings awareness, which is a good thing.

    kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com

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  4. Hi Kimberly, you mention some great films. I enjoyed them all--do you remember the dress made of flip-flops (I think Australians call them thongs) that one of the characters wore? That was amazing! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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    1. LOL, I forgot to specify the flip-flop dress was worn in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'.

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  5. I love the movie BEEFCAKE, about Robert Mizer and his Athletic Model Guild, which published male beefcake photos from the '50s through the early '90s. Even though there is a lot of humor and heat, you learn the depths of homophobia and censorship Mizer had to fight!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Wow, this is a movie I'm not familiar with, but I'm definitely going to have to search it out. I enjoy nonfiction films, which I assume this is. Thanks so much, vitajex! (By the way, did your name come from "A Face in the Crowd"?)

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  6. I don't watch much but one of my favorite Lesbian characters were Willow and Tara on Buffy. I think that's the first time I watched a show with more than a passing comment on gay issues and the fact it was portrayed in a positive light made it fun.

    cojazzchick AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. I never watched much Buffy, but I was aware of Willow being lesbian. It's great that TV finally got it right and portrayed a gay couple without it being a big thing. Thanks for stopping by, cojazzchick!

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  7. Thanks so much for being part of the blog hop and hosting this contest!

    My favorite gay couple would probably be Agron and Nasir (a.k.a. Nagron) from the "Spartacus" TV series. They're amazing and so fiercely passionate. I also love that their being in love is treated no differently from heterosexual couples in the show. They have love scenes, tender scenes, arguments, and everything. It's refreshing, and they're such a great pairing.

    My email is nicojaye(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thanks!

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    1. I must admit I've never caught the Spartacus series, but after your description, I realize I must! It sounds like a great show and a fascinating couple. Thanks so much for your comment, Nico!

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  8. Thank you for your great post. One of my favorite characters in TV was Jack from "Dawson's Creek." Thanks for participating in the blog hop!
    -Marie

    awindandbooks at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Marie. I must shamefully admit that I was never a watcher of Dawson's Creek, but I'm glad they had a character with a positive gay image.

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  9. Thank you for the great post. One of my recent favorite LGBT character on tv was Louis (played by Michael Urie )on Partners (2012 tv show that was cancelled). His character cracked me up but I loved how sweet he was.

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. I hate when you find a show you like and they cancel it! Bummer. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by humhumbum.

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  10. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful post. I think that my favorite GLBT movie was "Make the Yuletide Gay." It was such a sweet story and touched on a lot of great topics. As for characters, I think that my favorite GLBT TV character was David from the New Normal. I loved how he was portrayed and he had a great relationship.

    Thanks for doing the hop!

    Beth
    JPadawan11@gmail.com

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    1. I'm learning about a lot of good movies and shows from this post. I'll have to check out "Make the Yuletide Gay". I'm not familiar with The New Normal--I'll have to catch it (I hope it hasn't been cancelled). Thanks a lot for stopping by, Beth.

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  11. I'm weird, and I watch old stuff mainly. What's fascinating is how characters who might be gay show up.in old TV shows and movies. Usually a very prissy, "queenish" stereotype, a person who never existed in reality. Thanks for exposing me to all the things I could be,watching! And for a great cause.
    Urbanista
    brendurbanist @gmail. com

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  12. Hi Urbanista, I watch a lot of old movies, too, and agree those stereotypes are so cringe-worthy and offensive. I've received some great recommendations I definitely want to check out. As a matter of fact, I caught the movie "Beginners" the other day, featuring Christopher Plummer as man who comes out at the age of 75. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment!

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  13. Thanks for the post, and now I want to read Ma Vie en Rose! I watched a movie called XXY about an intersexed teen, and the struggles with her family. Was really good and made me think what I would do as a parent in the same situation.

    pantsoffreviews(at)live.ca

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  14. Hi Darien! XXY sounds like a very interesting movie. I love films that are thought-provoking and that stay with me after they've ended. Thanks for the recommendation and thanks so much for stopping by!

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  15. Have to say ,not much of a movies watcher so I don't know movies.Will search for your choices.
    cvsimpkins@msn.com

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  16. Thanks for your post! Hedwig and the Angry Inch is my favorite LGBTQ film of all time. Though I'm also a huge fan of the homoerotic stuff going on in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

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    1. Oops, and my email is jarockauthor@gmail.com

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    2. Hi J.A., I haven't seen Hedwig but I love The Talented Mr. Ripley and the earlier French version, Purple Noon. Thanks so much for commenting!

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  17. Willow & Tara from Buffy are still my favorite lesbian couple! RIP Tara (I'm still upset...) Thanks so much for sharing your post in this blog hop! Such an important subject.
    OceanAkers @ aol.com

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    1. Arggh, don't you hate it when they kill off a character you love? Thanks so much for stopping by, Juliana!

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  18. Ma Vie sounds like an awesome movie, I can't wait to see it. I don't really have a fave LGBT movie, I like too many, but one that really moved me was Boys Don't Cry, based on Brandon Teena. I bawled my eyes out when I saw that movie, and to this day, it still affects me.

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Oh, that was an awesome movie, Emily! Hilary Swank sure deserved the Oscar for that performance. It was such a heartbreaking movie, particularly since it was based on a real tragedy. Thanks a lot for commenting.

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  19. I loved Brokeback Mountain. Great post! Thank you for taking part in the hop!
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

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    1. Yeah, Brokeback was amazing. Just so sad, too. Thanks a lot for stopping by, Sherry.

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  20. I adore Brokeback Mountain! This movie was so good!! The characters were really powerful! Ive never seen Ma Vie. Sounds great! Definitely gonna check it out! Thank you for being apart of such an amazing hop! What you all are doing...truly wonderful! Thank you!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Shadow. I think you'll like La Vie en Rose--it's touching, but also funny and a good antidote to tragic movies like Brokeback.

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  21. And the winner is Beth! Congratulations!

    Thanks so much everyone who left a comment. If you didn't win here, I hope you had luck at one of the other stops on the blog. Thanks again and please visit us again at The Divas of Desire.

    Beth, I will be contacting you shortly regarding your prize.

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