Living Out Loud with Darian

Ladies and gentleman the wait for Maurice Jamal's new film "Dirty Laundry" is almost over. On December 7th the family comedy will open in New York and Los Angeles and in select cities across the country on December 28th. I've personally been waiting for the nationwide release for over a year after being fortunate enough to see it during LA's Outfest in 2006. This is such an important film that I think the entire family should see. For the first time in years a story involving a black family with a gay character who is central to the storyline will be on screens all over America and will no doubt spark discussions and heal wounds. Click here for a synopsis.

In a recent interview with Next Magazine, producer Nathan Hale Wiliams had this to say;" It's almost as if black families have a 'don't ask, don't tell policy,'" he says of the avoidance tactics regarding gay relatives. All gay men regardless of color need to stand up and be proud. "We wanted to get the message out! The media doesn't focus enough on the black family. It's a problem because we manifest the images we see. We might have more visibility in this post-Will & Grace-era, Noah's Arc socio-cultural world, but "there are still not many healthy images of gay people of color, which makes it hard for all of us to understand the experiences of the gay minority, be they Latino, black [or] Asian."

The film stars Rockmond Dunbar, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Lewis, Terri J. Vaughn, Sommore, and Maurice Jamal. I urge everyone reading this post to run out to the theater when Dirty Laundry arrives in your town and support this film not just because it's one of few films that was made with our community in mind, but because it's an amazing piece of work from beginning to end.




While there's a huge amount of people anticipating the film's release there's also detractors. Keith Boykin reports a website called Gay Christian Movement Watch who is upset about Dr. Bobby Jones' brief appearance in the film as a minister. The site is dedicated to "exposing" the progressive doctrine of "homosexual churches and ministers" who believe in inclusion rather than discrimination based on sexual orientation. The website creator and moderator says, "Bobby Jones’ support and participation in this movie is indeed an attack on the church and the sexual moral standards which God requires us to adhere to."

In a statement given last year Dr. Jones said he was enthusiastic about the film and his appearance as he believed it would serve as an aid in healing both the black and gay communities.

I applaud the courage of Dr. Bobby Jones for participating in this film and Maurice Jamal for bringing it to the masses. As for "Gay Christian Movement Watch" they've made it painfully obvious how difficult it is for traditionalists to accept change and God's word for all of his people...so sad. Let us pray and run out to see Dirty Laundry !