Life on Christopher Street has changed dramatically since the days I romanticized walking along the pier in New York's Greenwich Village as a kid back in Alabama. I couldn't wait to graduate from high school and get the hell out of Montgomery and recreate scenes from "Paris Is Burning". I know it sounds silly but I was just longing to be in an environment where there were people who looked and loved like me openly.
Today the pier is almost unrecognizable, but it will forever remain a huge part of New York City's gay history.
The above clip is a 77 Films feature and it examines the lives of the black and latino gays and lesbians who frequent the pier. Hip-hop's influence in the gay community and the "homo thug" is also addressed. Get into it!
Many thanks to my reader Sean for sending this clip my way.
4 Comments:
I love the message!!! I want to see more!!
June 12, 2008 3:26 AM
Thanks for sharing! I found this interesting. I just wish media coverage was a little more diverse when it comes to covering gays and lesbian. Every gay man is not a flamboyant queen with a lisp, hello! And if I see one more bulldagger! Lawd. No disrespect to anyone, but we have to see more images reflecting the true diversity of the community.
June 12, 2008 7:33 AM
Christopher was fun back in the day. It's still aiiight. I was down on Christopher Street and the Pier last night.
There has always been a lot of Puerto Rican gay kids down there, but it seems they are 70% of the crowd now.
The lesbians girls look nice. A lot of them were giving Beyonce/Rhianna flava. Nice and fem.
The area bars were better back in the day.
Chiz Chiz bar is just OK. My boy up in Harlem told me that the New York Police Department has been closing them down early recently. Don't know what that is about. Knowing the NYPD, it could be just for the hell of it.
The racially mixed bar, Hangar has better drinks. I just dont like the old white men who stare at me while Im trying to talk to my friends.
June 14, 2008 2:33 PM
Darian, Some of your viewers are going to THRASH me for suggesting this, HOWEVER, I do NOT feel that the Clips I just viewed are representative, in the slightest, of the current state of the GLBT Community. I am so SICK and TIRED of the focus of these MockUMentaries and Television Series, being placed Upon 'HomoThugs' vs. The Effiminate Male. ENOUGH is ENOUGH~
I Get it. We Get it. The HeteroSexual Black Female Gets it. There is this Existence of Masculine, Black Males who are Sexually attracted to Other Men. NEXT....
Im unsure as to the ethnicity and/or sexuality of the Filmmakers. It just seems to Me that whoever they are, they're a bit Out-of-Touch with the REAL ISSUES.
The themes and focus seem to be so Random and Scattered about. Im NOT impressed. I didnt enjoy any of it.
June 16, 2008 1:12 PM
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