My 10 Year Reflection

10 years ago, I stood before my fellow graduating classmates of the year 2000 and delivered another speech as I’d done at every graduation prior.  Though I think my best commencement participation was in the 6th grade when I debuted my “Melody Americana” – wherein I played the National Anthem, The Flight of the Bumble Bee (abridged), and a transposed version of the theme song from Jeopardy on my flute, shoulder pads and all – my high school graduation felt different.  I felt like I wasn’t just going on to another year of school, but heading toward a future that would solidify only with my eagerness to see it unfold. 

Now that I am about to reconvene with those “kids” from ten years ago, I can’t help to be reflective.  By sitting back and rethinking just how much I’ve accomplished in ten years, I am truly humbled.  Though I am 26 and didn’t reach my goal of billionaire status at this age, and I completely did not pursue marine biology and medicine as a profession, I have so much to be thankful for, especially without having had an agent or manager in my profession of the Arts and Entertainment.  As a DJ, I’ve headlined for and played on stage with Grammy and Emmy-award winning talent. I’ve composed an original hour-long collection of songs for a dance opera.  Not to mention I have shot my own music videos as a singer-songwriter with my acoustic guitar, I have remixed music for Israel’s birthday, and I have produced and been a music supervisor on so many projects.  I have also performed as a poet and performance artist and have been invited to speak to classes from K through College.  I have even strutted on catwalks in New York and Los Angeles (heels and no heels).  I’ve been on MTV with a mohawk, singing Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” in perfect pitch, been on CNN proudly voicing my rights to be queer and more recently, I have been on ” title=”Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait” target=”_blank”>Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait project. 

Through it all, there’s film.  I should re-phrase… there are “movies”.  I love TV, sitcoms and dramas alike, but movies – oh, sweet flicks – they have shaped me over the last ten years and longer.  So, as I reflect this summer, I will also be taking time to enjoy some movies, especially at this year’s ” title=”Queerer Than Thou” target=”_blank”>I even screened my own comedic short at Outfest in 2009.  This year, though, I am making a point to actually see flicks.  Here’s what I’ll be watching, along with a few other films I recommend that have nothing to do with the Outfest programming.  Full film guide can be seen ” title=”The Lottery (A film by Madeleine Sackler)” target=”_blank”>The Lottery (A film by Madeleine Sackler) – Tagline: “You Could Win An Education”.  My only connection to Harlem is that I danced at the Dance Theatre of Harlem back in the day; and unlike the students in this film, I’ve always had the opportunity for the best education and the best and highest coursework.  But, the reality is that a lot of students don’t have bright opportunities, and enough is enough already.  Great film to see.  I just caught it in LA, but it’s next stops are in DC June 25-July 1 and then in Denver July 9- 16. Get involved!

If you’re not in Denver those dates in July, then you must be attending the 28th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival July 8th – 18th (chai!), right?

√ July 10th – A Conversation with Jane Lynch – DGA 1 – 130 PM.  GLEE.  High School.  Totally.  And Ms. Lynch will be receiving the 14th Annual Outfest Achievement Award this year.  I hope she wears a track suit.
√ July 11th – A Small Act (Dir/Scr: Jennifer Arnold, USA) – DGA 2 – 1130 AM.  FREE.  A story of a Holocaust survivor who anonymously gave $15 to sponsor a little boy in Kenya… who then went on to graduate from Harvard and became a human rights lawyer.  Enough said.
√ July 11th – Clueless (Dir/Scr: Amy Heckerling) – DGA 2 – 445 PM. Part of the Legacy Screening Series. I can write on and on about why Clueless is one of my favorites of all time, but let’s just say my love for the tailored and flamboyant look has a lot to do with watching D, a bonafide BAP, and Cher, a bonafide JAP, over and over and over…
√ July 11th – Fit (Dir/Scr: Rikki Beadle-Blair, UK) – DGA 1 – 7 PM.  Teens in a Drama and Dance class and how they deal with their identity through it all.
√ July 13th – Gay Days (Hazman Havarod) (Dir/Scr: Yair Qedar, Israel) – Laemmle Sunset 5 – 715 PM. A very political look at the cultural revolution of Israel’s gay community as it came of age in the 1980s.
√ July 14th – A Marine Story (Dir/Scr: Ned Farr, USA) – DGA 1 – 7 PM.  Women Marines. Boot camp.  I mean, if you saw the Gymnast, then you know this should be fun.

There’s also a film on the circuit called