Whiskers on Kittens // 1
The queer things we’ve been up to and into
It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.
~James Baldwin1
Veneno (2020) by Los Javis. Thanks to an enthusiastic recc from friend Wolfman Jack, we finished la veneno [the poison] this week. The series, based on Spain’s trans icon Cristina “La Veneno” Ortiz’s memoir ¡Digo! Ni puta ni santa [I’m Telling You! Neither a Whore, Nor a Saint] by Valeria Vegas, is incredible, from all the fantastic trans actors to the lush, queer production design—but don’t just take it from us; read this assessment by actor and writer Hari Nef. Like JCM, we are “surprised that people aren’t talking about the show more.”
Always Alright by Alabama Shakes. We realized about a minute before midnight on Dec 31st that we needed a song to ring in our queerest year, so we panic-picked this rock bop to dance around the living room in our PJs and socks. Brittany Howard’s voice has grounded and growly vibes that just ooze passion, and we hope 2023 brings more of her. We’re always alright, indeed.
The ‘Golden Gays’ by photojournalist Hannah Reyes Morales. This lovely article with photos shows us a group of older gay men in the Philippines who beautifully embody queer values of chosen family and community care in the face of societal neglect. As one Golden Gay, Lola Mon, says: “Love revolves among ourselves. Our camaraderie is whole, and because we are together all the time, our companionship is solid.”
Dead End: Paranormal Park created by Hamish Steele. We dove into the first season of this charming animated show Dead End: Paranormal Park, which tackles transphobia, social anxieties, and chosen family—all while giving us haunted house spookiness, a musical episode, and the queer vocal talents of Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Alan Cumming, Miss Coco Peru, and more. Watch it to find out what happens when a Jewish gay trans boy, an autistic bisexual Pakistani-American girl, a thousand-year-old demon, and a possessed pug join forces at a haunted Dolly Parton-esque theme park.
Heather
Our Time produced by Vito Russo. This week, I’ve been revisiting gay liberation activist and queer film historian Vito Russo’s early ‘80s WNYC LGBTQ+-focused public access show Our Time. I’ve been watching the 11 extant episodes thanks to queer documentarian Jeffrey Schwarz. I’ve written about Vito’s influence on me and my scholarship here and here. I also think everyone should watch Schwarz’s documentary Vito (2011).
Call Me Miss Cleo co-directed by Jennifer Brea and Celia Aniskovich. So much more than ‘90s nostalgia and phone psychics, this documentary about Miss Cleo shows how a person’s identity is continually under construction and that truths are multifaceted. While Miss Cleo may have been the face and scapegoat of the Psychic Readers Network, the true villains of the story, unsurprisingly, are two white men. While this isn’t a perfect documentary, it was nice to see Miss Cleo be humanized and appreciated, even if posthumously and belatedly.
De mon âme à ton âme by KOMPROMAT featuring the ever-great Adèle Haenel. I often revisit this song as a dreamy inspirational reminder of queer creativity and collaboration. Claire Burger directs this video for KOMPROMAT, self-described as a “cold wave band with post punk, techno and EBM tones,” and pays homage to actor Romy Schneider and director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s famously unfinished 1964 film L’Enfer.
Amie
Maker Laura Kampf. Based in Cologne, Germany, Laura is a creative and handy lesbian who I love to watch make things. Her YT channel is documenting the process of rejuvenating an old house named Liselotte (it’s a wild ride—start at the beginning!), as well as showing all her other incredible creative projects, from a tiny house to an upcycled toolbox bar. Her workshop organization alone is the stuff dyke-it-yourself dreams are made of.
Comedian Daniel Foxx. There are a lot of great bits featuring deliciously evil characters on this British comedian’s IG account, but my current favorites are ‘The Supervillain’s Gay Assistant’ and ‘Welcome to Hell.’
Artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski. Amaryllis creates beautifully haunting queer Puerto Rican fever dreams in a rainbow sherbet wash. Her multimedia artworks feel deliciously lethal and incredibly vital. Plus, Amaryllis’s world-making is just so damn pretty.
From ‘They Can’t Turn Back’ in The Price of the Ticket, Collected Nonfiction 1948-1985, Beacon Press, 2021 (originally published 1985), p. 234.
This is a fantastic post, thank you! You're filling my media dance card this week lol
Will do!