Frameline

Aside from this being sunset on the solstice or the first day of summer (in addition to being the anniversary of Mike & Katie's wedding on the Matterhorn a few years back), it is also the week before San Francisco's big Pride Weekend (otherwise known as "Gay Christmas") and thus the perfect time for the Frameline Festival- a celebration of LGBT cinema. Tonight, Stacey and I celebrated my cousins' film, "Lesbian Pulp-O-Rama Goes To Sweden" which was honored with a spot in the film festival. Stacey and I met for a drink in what we once referred to as our "living room", the old Elixir for a beer and a rant about the catering world. We sat in our familiar niche next to the window as we'd done so many times in the past. Then we walked down to Pancho Villa for a pre-movie taco where Stacey became annoyed by yet another In-your-face crooning by the local "Mariachis" (I use this word loosely). After some abuse-by-accordian we made our way down 16th street for My Cousin Heather's Movie. I had hoped to get a shot for Heather of the Roxie Marquee with her movie's title, but I had fogotten that they don't have a Marquee. I wondered if that's why I never knew what was playing there. Is that why such a cool house is always on the verge of closing?
We arrived to a fairly full theater made up of about 98% females. We staked our spot near the front and prepared to see my family's name in lights. The first movie was short about an artist documenting Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs- Like lesbian spring break for all ages. By the end of that movie, I felt like an honorary lesbian. I was laughing, I was happy, free, I was celebrating my feminism.
When LPORGTS started, Stacey and I cheered as Heather and Anna's names came on the screen. We laughed with the running jokes, the constant stream of improvisational bits as we followed the theater troupe on their ride of fame in Sweden. Having never seen the skits from the show, I was thrilled to finally see their work in action. Seeing Heather on screen, as herself is just like seeing Heather at home. Making jokes and playing mini-parts with Anna, eating breakfast, talking about her work the way she shares it with her peers- not just her family. It was wonderful to see how their show touched the lesbian community in Sweden- and how much that touched the troupe themselves. I was beaming with pride.