Mon, Oct 8, 2007
In this episode, the show's stories take you to church, into the kitchen, back to the 1950's and into the world of plastic surgery and body corrections, both traditional and on the black market. A CHURCH DIVIDED The Anglican Communion and its American arm, the Episcopal Church, is one of the largest religious communities in the world. But four years ago the American Episcopalians elected their first openly gay Bishop, Gene Robinson, in New Hampshire. As a result, a heated debate over homosexuality has led to a battle between Conservative and Progressive factions within the Church. We hear from both sides of the debate as In the Life explores this complex issue. THE CAFFE CINO In the late 1950's and early 60's, Greenwich Village was a vibrant meeting place for the gay community. It was during this period that public gay theatre was born at virtually hidden little places like The Caffé Cino. In the Life sits down with some of the early founders of this remarkable institution. JOSIE SMITH MALAVE This next story takes audiences into the kitchen of one of America's toughest and most charismatic chefs, Josie Smith Malave, where she will share her approach to life and how that feeds her passion for the art of cooking. LULU GETS A FACELIFT In this month's "Real to Reel", In the Life profiles a documentary that takes a look at aging in the gay community through the experience of LuLu, a San Francisco-based drag performer. When celebrities get plastic surgery, you only get to see the before and after. In this film, Louis (or LuLu) very bravely lets us witness the before, the during, and the after. BEAUTY ON THE BLACK MARKET For transgender women who are low income, the ability to 'pass' as a female can make the difference in being able to simply get a job, put food on the table or avoid the very real threat of violence. The stakes are higher for trans-women and some women will go to some pretty extreme measures to enhance their feminine appearance. In this episode's final segment, In the Life explores this important health issue for the trans community.
Jan 2008
From Larry Kramer to Audrey Lorde, this month's IN THE LIFE Encore presentation, A Visible History, celebrates the extraordinary people and places that have defined the history, and charted the course, of the gay community. VITO RUSSO IN THE LIFE profiles the late author, and activist, Vito Russo, best remembered as co-founder of GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and for the book, The Celluloid Closet. CENTER SPACES All communities need spaces to gather and find their voice. After the 1969 Stonewall Riots, literally thousands of LGBT organizations came into existence. IN THE LIFE explores the history of gay spaces, how each found its distinctive voice, and celebrates the 25TH anniversary of the first LGBT Center to provide a permanent space for all of those voices to come together. POLITICAL SCIENCE In America, until the late 1800's, homosexuality was generally viewed as a sin, a perversion of nature, and a crime. In 1864 it became an acceptable subject for scientific study. IN THE LIFE goes back to look at the early scientific and medical debates that would influence the "body-politic" over the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. FAMILY MATTERS Children everywhere are growing up with gay and lesbian parents, and like most families, they have their struggles. In Family Matters, IN THE LIFE spends some time with a few "out-and-proud" families that are finding community in organizations like COLAGE. KRAMER ON KRAMER Larry Kramer continues to be one of the most outspoken and controversial figures in the gay movement. As the founder of ACT UP, he was a lightning rod for AIDS activism; as an author, his novels and plays confronted the AIDS crisis, and captured the gay social conscience. "REAL TO REEL": PARTING GLANCES In 1986, Parting Glances hit theaters as one of the first films to address HIV/AIDS and the complexities of gay relationships; now it's a classic of queer cinema. Twenty years later, AIDS continues to spread in all communities, but thanks to the Outfest Legacy Project, this seminal work has been preserved to continue educating, informing and putting human faces to the disease.