Starting my 2026 Pride Month log for all the queer art I’m watching and reading this June. Trying to expand my horizons with more art by and/or about lesbians, trans people, and non-white gay men. Let’s see how this goes!
One Day This Kid
(Alexander Farah, 2024)
Inspired by the David Wojnarowicz artwork of the same name, this beautiful short packs a lot into 17 minutes. Love that even across cultures, some gay coming-of-age moments are universal (the “Leader of the Gang” scene in “Spice World”)
Starting my 2026 Pride Month log for all the queer art I’m watching and reading this June. Trying to expand my horizons with more art by and/or about lesbians, trans people, and non-white gay men. Let’s see how this goes!
Portrait of Jason
(Shirley Clarke, 1967)
Seminal documentary about a hustler/houseboy/cabaret performer recounting stories from his life. Often blurs the line between performance and reality in intriguing ways.
The big confession scene at the end occasionally lapsed into overwrought melodrama and literalizes what was unspoken. It doesn’t play as well as the earlier scene in the hospital between Niall and Ruben. Did love the ending though.
I think “Half Man” ended up being a good take on British Miserabilism for the HBO audience. The show was at its best when it let us linger in the awkwardness and discomfort of these people’s relationships, everyone butting up against each other for decades with little growth.