Cinema is church for the heretics, darling. And this was the catechism they gave us when no pulpit would: You exist. You burn. You love. You are not alone.
Each of these films wasn’t just story—it was spellwork. It cracked open closets and heads alike, letting shame melt under celluloid light. We shouted back. We sang. We wept. We stitched our battered hearts with sequins and spit and dared to keep walking.
Never let anyone tell you movies are frivolous. These saved lives.
I'm beginning to wonder what world I have been living in these past 65 years. I've seen a few (very few) of these films and remember even less. A couple I do recall as being queer, the rest apparently flew over my head. Going to have to think about this a bit.
I saw the Rocky Horror show in Pittsburgh when it was first released. Friends took me to a showing at midnight in Oakland and I had no idea what it was about. Initially I was surprised by the audience interactions and props, water guns, toilet paper, hot dogs etc but when the girl started dancing in the aisle next to me wearing nothing but half slip that was ripped and a bra I became really interested. In a way it was an awakening that led me to where I am and spoke to me such things were possible. Since then, I’ve probably seen the Rocky show 25 or 30 times in a dozen different cities and I did my gender transition over 30 years ago and never been happier despite the propaganda and misinformation from the right (you know those people have to have something or someone to hate as a cause justifying their own misery).
Cinema is church for the heretics, darling. And this was the catechism they gave us when no pulpit would: You exist. You burn. You love. You are not alone.
Each of these films wasn’t just story—it was spellwork. It cracked open closets and heads alike, letting shame melt under celluloid light. We shouted back. We sang. We wept. We stitched our battered hearts with sequins and spit and dared to keep walking.
Never let anyone tell you movies are frivolous. These saved lives.
—Virgin Monk Boy
I'm beginning to wonder what world I have been living in these past 65 years. I've seen a few (very few) of these films and remember even less. A couple I do recall as being queer, the rest apparently flew over my head. Going to have to think about this a bit.
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I saw the Rocky Horror show in Pittsburgh when it was first released. Friends took me to a showing at midnight in Oakland and I had no idea what it was about. Initially I was surprised by the audience interactions and props, water guns, toilet paper, hot dogs etc but when the girl started dancing in the aisle next to me wearing nothing but half slip that was ripped and a bra I became really interested. In a way it was an awakening that led me to where I am and spoke to me such things were possible. Since then, I’ve probably seen the Rocky show 25 or 30 times in a dozen different cities and I did my gender transition over 30 years ago and never been happier despite the propaganda and misinformation from the right (you know those people have to have something or someone to hate as a cause justifying their own misery).
Wow! That was so interesting. I’ve seen Rocky Horror Picture Show and Priscilla-Queen of the Desert…will have to check out the others!