BUT.

For a number of reasons I thought I’d use this old thing to post a call for entries for an art show I’m having in Providence, RI this June.

It’s called The Dirty Gay Picture Show, and it’s open to artists of any gender or orientation who deal in subject matter relevant to gay and/or queer communities. More specifically, this show will focus on works that evaluate the current state of gay identity.

Every summer, cities across the world have festivals proclaiming Gay Pride. Begun in the early 1970’s to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, the parades and parties have morphed into hedonistic celebrations of gayness. Today, mainstream movies and television shows feature openly gay characters who (sometimes) aren’t mincing dandies, while networks and advertisers target gay audiences, and gay men are even being used as indicators of real estate value.

However, an increasing number of queer individuals–gay males included–have become disenchanted with the concept of Pride. Many feel that the celebration is only suitable to a certain kind of gay white male, while other queer people are left out. Women, transgendered individuals, queers of color, and even gay men are ignored if they are “too fat,” “too fem,” or “too straight.”

Even the dominant (white male) gay community faces an array of serious issues, from racism and transphobia to drugs to marriage rights and an alarming increase in unsafe sex practices. Unfortunately, these issues tend to be ignored, especially during Pride season, when flag-waving and partying hinder any opportunity for serious discussion.

The Dirty Gay Picture Show wants to showcase the work of artists of all genders and orientations who feel marginalized by the dominant gay community, as well as those who simply seek an alternative to mainstream gay culture.

To submit work, please e-mail yurigellerbentme@gmail.com with your name, location, a brief biography, and brief description of the work (or proposed work.)

Work requirements:VISUAL ARTISTS

- up to three submissions (jpegs of at least 300 dpi, no larger than 2MG each) via e-mail or CD

- if submitting a proposal for new work, include three examples of recent completed work

WRITERS

- up to 25 pages of prose or 10 pages of poetry (Word or Rich Text format if e-mailed)

FILM/VIDEO ARTISTS

- complete works of any length should be sent by mail in either DVD or VHS format

- e-mail entries will be accepted if the work is available online.

The deadline for entries is May 15. Any questions should be directed to yurigellerbentme@gmail.com

Still nothing exciting to report.  Just to see if I feel any more inspired, though, I’m moving this site over to Wordpress.  It’s a really boring story, and has nothing to do with Silent Pillow (who have been great with the hosting for the past six months.)  I may come back here, especially if Wordpress deletes me for being too vulgar, but in the meantime the new site  (which looks more or less exactly like the old one) can be found

here.

Also, I don’t own a microwave. And I feel like no one I know does, either, except for my parents.

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Anyway, here’s this year’s nominees, with my thoughts on each one and photos of who I think ought to win (to give me something fun to look at while I decide) (more…)