Sunday, October 12, 4:00 PM
Cinema
21
The explosion of homosexual activism in developing parts
of the world, explains a Malaysian activist, is due to HIV/AIDS,
MTV, and the Internet. But such activism comes at a price,
as shown in DANGEROUS LIVING, a globetrotting documentary
that highlights inspirational LGBT “movements” in
evolving countries. By using the arrest of 52 men in Cairo
for participating on a floating disco as the fulcrum, director
John Scagliotti explores the pleasures and perils of being
queer in such far away places as Pakistan, Honduras, the
Philippines, and Namibia.
The interviews with queer activists are both heartrending
and inspiring: A Honduran lesbian describes how her young
son is assaulted by homophobes; terrified Egyptian men await
sentencing after being accused of “debauchery” for
drinking in a gay nightclub; and a Vietnamese man (in silhouette)
fears exile if he organizes a gay movement. Yet also depicted
is tremendous courage under fire, as witnessed by queer folks
marching in Honduras while under the scrutiny of the paramilitary,
as well as a Namibian activist who refuses to change how
he swings his hips just because his president calls for the “elimination” of
gays and lesbians.
DANGEROUS LIVING drives home that even if queer rights is
a western idea, homosexuality certainly is not. In fact,
as one activist provocatively quips, “Perhaps it’s
homophobia that’s been imported from the developed
world.”
Dir. John Scagliotti
2003 USA Video 70 min English, Spanish, Thai,
Arabic and Vietnamese with
English subtitles |
