Gay Culture Archives - The LGBT Sentinel

Doing Just Fine Inside The Closet

Published on October 13, 2017 in Opinion

It’s that time of year again—the season when LGBTQ+ people are called upon to identify themselves to the masses. National Coming Out Day, October 11th, has just passed. In addition, the entire month has been dedicated to leaving the closet behind. Ever since I recognized my own queerness, I’ve felt uncomfortable on NCOD. But to be fair, it’s an event with a history we can all be proud of. The concept of “coming out” dates back to the 1800s, when early German advocates like Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and Magnus Hirschfeld promoted self-disclosure as a means of working towards equity for…

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Going Back Into The Closet: Retirement

Published on September 27, 2017 in Blog/Real Talk/Weekly

Partners of many years, Christopher Ross and Allan Keech are both 68-years-old. As they approach the typical challenges that must be faced with age such as health issues and retirement, they must also cope with discrimination. Upon their search for an appropriate retirement community, they have found them all to not have valid resources for including those in the LGBTQ community. Keech expressed that many gay people decide to go back into the closet during this time because of not wanting to feel ostracized. Both Ross and his partner Keech are not alone. Les Geller of the LGBT Center of…

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From LA To NYC: DragCon With Holly 2017

Published on September 14, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Weekly

Five months ago, during his Keynote speech at the end of an incredible two days of RuPaul’s DragCon in Los Angeles, RuPaul instructed us to pack up our lashes and tuck tape, as they would be flying to New York City for the first ever East Coast DragCon. After an overwhelming response resulted in an early date change, this past weekend it finally happened, and of course, I flew across the country to be there. After L.A. DragCon completely exceeded all my expectations, the idea of an East Coast Con was exciting, but felt a journey into the unknown. L.A.…

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Giving Back: A History & Guide

Published on August 18, 2017 in Blog/Real Talk/The-Nation/Weekly

LGBT charities and non-profits, which can be the same organization, exist to provide advocacy, awareness, and a safe haven for those individuals in the LGBT community that need a place to turn to. LGBT charities in the United States have been around for many years now, but they got their real start in the 1920’s. In 1924, Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights, which was the first officially recognized gay rights organization in the United States. Twenty-six years later, the Mattachine Society was founded in 1950-51 by Harry Hay. This was the first major gay rights organization in…

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A Short History on Trans Rights by Laverne Cox

Published on August 15, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Real Talk/Weekly

Best known by her role on Netflix’s Orange is The New Black, Laverne Cox has become a pioneer voice as a transwoman in the LGBT community. Cox has teamed up with the ACLU, producer of Transparent, Zackary Drucker, Molly Crabapple, and Kim Boekbinder to create a short film showcasing the journey of trans history. While gay rights have been touched upon a lot in the last few decades, the story behind transgender rights is not as well known. In a short 4 minutes, the video guides you through the progression of transgender inclusiveness. Starting from the first riot and ending…

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“Syndrome”

Published on August 7, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Weekly

Artist: Matthew Steele. Bio: Matthew lives in Los Angeles, where he watches the days become nights. He likes making lines into worlds. Draglickclipse.blogspot.com Hartcretur.tumblr.com

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Queer Blues Queens of the Early 20th Century

Published on July 28, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Real Talk/Weekly

The blues isn’t exactly the genre of the moment, but it sure feels apt for the times. It’s also a style that owes a lot to queer black women. The first blues queen to reach celebrity status, a business woman who marketed herself and organized her own tours throughout the 1920’s and ‘30s, was named Ma Rainey. In addition to possessing a powerful voice, she was a born performer–Charming, funny, and audacious. She was once arrested in Chicago for holding a lesbian orgy in her hotel room. A few years later, she wrote a song called “Prove it On Me…

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Something Like Summer

Published on July 19, 2017 in Uncategorized

Something Like Summer, an adaption of Jay Bell’s young adult novel of the same name, follows the protagonist Benjamin Bentley as he journeys through life experiencing the joys, mishaps, and struggles of love and being out and openly gay. A combination of love, passion, and a hint of obsession evolve as Ben becomes more engrossed by the very attractive, yet in closet jock, Tim Wyman. Their first encounter in high school would serve as the basis for the rest of the film’s storyline. He falls quickly for Tim and fights to stay with him despite the societal, family,…

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Outfest 2017: Why It Matters

Published on July 12, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Weekly

Outfest is one of the biggest queer events in the United States, located in one of the biggest film hubs in the world. Since its beginning in 1979, the festival has grown into a powerful institution in LGBTQ+ life as well as in mainstream film. Outfest’s slogan says everything about its role in our culture: “Our Stories Have Power.” In a world filled with stories that normalize the erasure and manipulation of queer narratives, movies and TV created by queer people can act as powerful antidotes. Stories are the conduits through which we understand the world; lessons that teach us…

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Outfest 2017

Published on July 6, 2017 in Blog/Entertainment & LifeStyle/Weekly

The LGBT Sentinel is thrilled to be a sponsor at Outfest LA. Here are the ten films we’re most looking forward to watching. Attending Outfest? Pick up your copy of the LGBT Sentinel when you’re there! Get your tickets : www.outfest.org/about-outfest-los-angeles/ #LGBTSentinel #OutfestLA

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