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VIDEO: Morehouse to Screen Black Gay Docudrama "Friend of Essex"

Last month R20 reported the all-male Morehouse College will soon offer its first Black LGBT-themed course. This is a major development because only a handful of historically black colleges offer LGBT-themed courses and/or recognize LGBT student groups.

Morehouse College and its gay/straight alliance SafeSpace will screen the new documentary drama Friend of Essex. The screening is on January 31 at the Bank of America Auditorium. RSVP here.

Watch the trailer to the new film AFTER THE JUMP ...

The film was written and directed by 23-year-old Amir Dixon, a friend of R20 and the creator of the web-based talk series BrotherHood TV. The documentary is described as "a mix of one-on-one interviews, group interviews, narrative pieces and poetry" inspired by Essex Hemphill’s writing and the 1989 film Tongues Untied by Marlon Riggs. Dixon says his film was necessary because Black gay men "need to know and share our history."

"I looked back on my childhood and realized my parents could teach me about being a Black Man in America, but could not teach me about being a Black Gay Man and all it came with. When I got my heart broken, when I dealt with homophobia, when I struggled with the intersections of my identity they didn’t know where to begin. So I turned to my elders, my ancestors and called on them through their work and their words. Essex Hemphill’s work laid the foundation for my film. His work around race, religion, activism and community was where I started. I wanted to capture the stories of other young black gay men and get their thoughts and stories on camera."

Watch the trailer to the new film AFTER THE JUMP ...

Montana House Advances Hateful Anti-Gay Bill 60-39

On the same day that much of the LGBT community was celebrating the good news on DOMA, Hawaii and Maryland, the Republicans in Montana sharpened their laser focus on eliminating protections for LGBTs. The House advanced HB 516, which would effectively overturn Missoula's 2010 ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, reports The Missoulian.

Sixty Republicans voted for it. All 32 Democrats voted opposed it, joined by seven Republicans. One Republican was absent.

It was the second bill that passed Tuesday to nullify a locally adopted policy in Missoula. Earlier, the House banned enactment of local initiatives such as the one Missoula County voters approved in 2006 to make marijuana crimes the lowest priority of law enforcement. "It is ironic that the first bill of the day and the last bill of the day both intend to override the expressed will of Missoulians to govern ourselves as we see fit," said Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula.

And these emotional speeches:

"Leave us alone," said Rep. Sue Malek, D-Missoula. "For heaven's sake. We're one little town in a corner of Montana that has nothing to do with you. You know, I mean, why can't you let people live like they need to live their lives? Why can't they love who they want to love?" [...]

[Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula] told how Missoula's enactment of the ordinance gave LGBT residents of Missoula hope that is now being dashed.

"It gave those young (LGBT) people who had been beaten up, yelled at and discriminated against day in and day out the dimmest light of hope that maybe someday they might be equal to other Montanans, maybe someday," he said. "But this bill looks to extinguish that dim light of hope and eliminate an existing right for LGBT Missoulians."

HB 516 would also affect an executive order now in place in Bozeman, adds the Montana Human Rights Network.

The bill faces a final House vote before heading to the Senate, where passage is expected. No word yet  if Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer will veto.

Montana House Advances Bill to Repeal Missoula's LGBT Protections

So much for "concentrating" on jobs and the economy. The Republicans in Montana have a laser focus on eliminating protections for LGBTs ...

The Republican majority on the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Monday that would effectively overturn Missoula's 2010 ordinance banning discrimination against city residents based on their sexual orientation and gender. House Bill 516 by Rep. Kristin Hansen, R-Havre, now moves to the House floor for debate this week.

It would prohibit local governments from enacting ordinances or policies that seek to protect residents from real or perceived discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender as the cities of Missoula did through an ordinance and Bozeman did through a policy.

The panel voted earlier Monday to table HB514 by Rep. Edie McClafferty, D-Butte, which would have broadened the Montana Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination statewide based on gender identity or expression and sexual orientation.

Hansen's bill passed on a 13-7 vote, with Helena's Republican Rep. Liz Bangarter joining all six Democrats to vote against it. HB 514 passed 14-6, adds the Montana Human Rights Network, which sent an action alert asking its members to lobby legislators.

And so much for the Tea Party and GOP's hollow cries for states to stay out of local business ...

It's a blatant and evil  power move. And it's also worth noting that in 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed cities, towns or counties to recognize gays and lesbians as a protected class in Romer v. Evans.