Anti-gay vote in Russia Passes St Petersburg Parliament.

The law that criminalises any support for LGBT people in Russia has now passed.

“The law bans any positive communication in the public sphere about what it terms “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism”. The fine for breaking the law is as follows: 5,000 rubles (£105) for individuals, 50,000 rubles (£1065) for officials, and from 50,000 to 500,000 rubles (£10,650) for legal entities.”

The Ad That Ran in Country Life.

The Coalition for Marriage, an organisation that resists any attempts to make marriage rights equal, ran an ad in the magazine Country Life, and a virtual storm ensued.

“Country Life ran an ad in which Coalition for Marriage claimed that 70% of people did not want the definition of marriage changed, which is based not on a recognised poll, but on one they had commissioned. And there was a backlash on Facebook and Twitter.”

[rating=4]
18:20 NFT2 • UK: 42 min • Pathetique Films • 2012

Polari‘s reviewer Michael Langan thinks that every Friday night should be Peter de Rome night.

“As for watching gay porn in a cinematic, communal environment, it felt excitingly liberating and much less sleazy than you might imagine.”

Rowan Williams Says It’s Time For Minorities To Step Back.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has come to the indefensible conclusion that identity politics and minority rights are fragmenting society.

“Williams fudged the issue so completely that he sidestepped it, and proved that the old guard does not understand the implications of cultural diversity.”

Pick of the Day: 1 April.

Pick of BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 1 April. North Sea Texas, a beautiful coming of age tale and The Green, a story about a teacher accused of sexual assault.

Pick of the Day: 31 March.

Pick of BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 31 March. Órói (Jitters), a powerful teen drama set in Iceland and 365 without 377, a documentary about the legalisation of homosexuality in India.

[rating=3]
Hong-Kong-China: 92 min • Heart Production • 2012

Simon Chung’s Speechless is interesting yet not quite successful, says Polari‘s reviewer Michael Langan.

“Speechless is a film of two halves, beginning as a slow-burning mystery-cum-romance before turning into a love-triangle thriller, but it doesn’t really manage to pull off making those parts into a cohesive whole.”

[rating=4]
Belgium: 96 min • Indeed Films • 2011

Polari‘s reviewer Michael Langan is charmed by the coming-of-age story North Sea Texas.

“Jelle Floorizoone’s performance as Pim is restrained and assured, and he is the film’s palpitating heart.”

[rating=4]
233 pages • Serpent’s Tail • April 5, 2012 [HB]

Tim Bennett-Goodman is moved by this multi-layered family saga.

“A Stone’s Throw is a work of two distinct halves, deftly stitched together by Shaw into a satisfying whole.”

Pick of the Day: 30 March.

Pick of BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 30 March. Fragments: The Incomplete Films of Peter de Rome, which shows unseen work by the gay porn pioneer, and Speechless, a thriller from modern China.