Though we may think of political leaders as being dry-witted and doggedly serious in their pursuit to effect change, trans activist Riki Wilchins demonstrates how humor can be just as important a tool for disseminating information and channeling energy on issues to other activists. Wilchins is an accomplished author, one of TIME magazine’s 100 civic innovators, and the founder and executive director of Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), which works toward breaking others of looking at gender as a hard-coded binary structure.

Her One Trans Show, The MANgina Monologues, discusses her personal story of transition along with pop cultural and political swipes relating to the perception of the larger transgender community.

by Kevin Sparrow

The history of military service is pervasive in American society, from the early Revolutionary and Civil Wars that fill our History textbooks to the image of Navy sailor passionately kissing a women on his return to shore to the activism sparked by misguided directives of the Vietnam War. As we approach the seventh anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq this month, a secondary issue that has influenced the military for the past 17 years is being hotly debated: the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. A misconceived corrective to keep LGBT service members from being discharged outright, this policy has recently been a focal point for politicians and the public at large as they muddle through a conflict of which many Americans are still critical.

Two polls conducted this past week show that the majority of civilians now support allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers to serve openly in the military. An ABC News-Washington Post poll shows that 75 percent of respondents would be in favor of homosexual servicemembers serving openly, with a 64 percent support rate from Republican respondents. A CBS News-New York Times poll released the day before shows seven in ten respondents supporting open service by gay and lesbian people. There is a caveat with this data; both polls used “gay and lesbian” and “homosexual” alternately to describe LGBT servicemembers and found respondents were less willing to support “homosexuals” serving openly than “gay and lesbian” people.

This data reveals a positive shift in the perception of openly gay and lesbian people and their commitment to current American values; however, a repeal could easily lead to an acceptance of some troubling fallout from this policy’s history. RaceWire recently pointed out that black women are disproportionately affected by DADT, contributing to 3.3 percent of all discharges based on this policy, but only making up less than one percent of servicemembers. Many of these discharges may not even be based on actual sexual identity or behavior but on perception or vindictiveness by other servicemembers. A repeal of this policy will not help black women in the military generally if they are running up against sexist and racist authorities, but because there is no policy in place keeping them from serving, these slights will be more easily overlooked with a widespread repeal of DADT. By conceding to one minority group’s needs with a very tangible, another’s plight may be diminished.

By repealing DADT and policies that keep openly gay LGBT from serving, we must not forget that there is more that needs to be done to reform the U.S. military. Beyond removing current obstacles, protections need to be put into place that allow all servicemembers to interact in respectful and egalitarian ways. A third recent poll Military Times conducted exclusively with those serving in all branches of the military found that 51 percent of respondents did not support a repeal of DADT policies, a much higher percentage of opposition than the general public. Ensuring that minority servicemembers are accepted by their units and treated with dignity is an important consideration that should influence any new policies going forward. History repeats itself if its lessons are not realized, but we have the opportunity help promote an honorable military that treats all members equally. Hopefully, this lesson is one that works to influence all American society.

Female hip hop stars are akin to major metropolitan areas in the central United States: they can be few and far between. In a male-dominated industry that some perceive as generally misogynistic, it takes a strong voice both literally and lyrically to stand apart and prove that hip-hop is more than a boys’ club. Nicki Minaj has proven her skills at the age of 25 by being signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label and putting out four mixtapes in the last four years that combine samples from other artists with Minaj’s original work.

Although Minaj has had to work through the same issues that have plagued many female emcees, namely sex appeal being valued over substance and public scrutiny of her sexual orientation, her work is picking up thousands of fans and showing the viability of different forms of expression for young females everywhere.

It’s 2010, and Cul de sac is back in session. We decided to kick it old school by starting off with our nouveau classique series, Musician Mondays. Marina Diamandis is a 24-year-old Greek-Welsh singer based in London who plugs into sounds ranging from ’80s new wave to modern pop, dance and synth-rock. Her surname literally translates as “Diamonds” and is used as a stage moniker to denote her fans, not her backing band. Marina and the Diamonds‘ debut album, The Family Jewels, will be released on February 22 in the US.

Marina’s voice recalls strong female alt-musicians from Kate Nash and Lily Allen to Kate Bush and Imogen Heap, and her lyrics touch on identity-formation, commercialization and female sexuality. She is currently touring her native UK, heading across the pond for a few dates in New York this March. The first single from the album, “Hollywood” is set to be officially released on February 1 (our editor-in-chief’s date of birth!), but you can watch the video below:

by Jacob McPherson

British indie-powerhouses The XX and Friendly Fires are touring together.  They will be playing a sold-out show at Bottom Lounge in Chicago on Tuesday, December 1st.  Although the two produce music that differs greatly from each other, the pairing is unsurprising.  The XX debuted in August of this year and create music that shows influences of R&B and 80’s guitar.  Deep bass complemented by well-tuned vocals drives their sound.

Friendly Fires have been on the scene since September of 2008.  They create a sound that can be best described as Britpop dance-punk.  It seems appropriate that The XX are opening for them, as they will get the mood started out right for the high energy that Friendly Fires will bring.  Both artists are on the Beggars roster and are of equal caliber.

Although I will not be seeing this show, I have seen both of these acts separately.  The members of Friendly Fires are true rock stars and will have everyone dancing to tracks like “Jump in the Pool” and “Photobooth.”  The XX forces the audience to pay attention and become part of the music.  With tracks like “Crystalize” and “Islands,” a melodic journey is sure to take place.

by Jacob McPherson

Friday night, I ventured over to the Metro to experience the Peaches concert.  Amanda Blank opened, and I was a little underwhelmed with her performance, given all the hype around her.  However, she was still enjoyable and made an appropriate opener for Peaches.  Since this was my second time seeing Peaches, I knew what to expect from the performance.

I first saw Peaches at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. Drag personality Sherry Vine was in the VIP section; it is very hard to compete with that, but Peaches still delivered an incredible show.  What I enjoy most about her is that she truly is a performer.  She wears the most ridiculous outfits, walks across the crowd, and brings a third dimension to her music.

As expected, the majority of the crowd was queer.  With risqué songs like “Tent in Your Pants,” “I Feel Cream,” and of course, “Fuck the Pain Away,” it was pretty much like a Friday night at Berlin.  Although her latest album, I Feel Cream, put out by XL Recordings, has been out for a while, it is still a must for any party mix.

by Jacob McPherson

Sweden keeps producing strong musical acts.  Saturday night, I thoroughly enjoyed myself when experiencing the music of Little Dragon.  They played a free show for the fifteenth anniversary of Double Door in Chicago.  It was one of those concerts where the energy of the music was absorbed through the entire crowd, creating a surreal atmosphere.

Led by Japanese vocalist, Yukimi Nagano, the group pumped out electronic soul music that sounded retro yet modern at the same time.  Nagano’s vocal skills were well complimented by beats created by Erik Bodin, Fredrik Wallin, and Hakan Wirenstrand.  Although the group can be compared to acts such as Bjork, Miike Snow and Kate Bush, their experimental sound sets them apart.  There are traces of 80s pop and jazz, all blended into one amazing package.

by Kevin Sparrow

The sad thing about film festivals is that oftentimes it can be hard to find your favorite films after they’re over. To wrap up our look forward to Reeling 2009, we are going to wallow in self-pity and discuss some of the fantastic dramas being presented this year.

The Filipino film Boy splits its focus between the innocence of first love and the eroticism of desire. The Boy in this case is a thoughtful poet who, when he’s not using his allowance to buy exotic fish to fill his room, spends it at the local male dancer club. He meets Aries there, and as things progress toward New Year’s, The Boy decides to blow his load and take Aries home for the night. There are some very heartfelt and specific character interactions mixed with some standard cliches, especially in the portrayal of the transgender members of the club and shallowness in having such an uncomplicated relationship build. Madeleine Nicolas as Mother brings a lot of credence to her role of a scattershot near-divorcee who has a child with a secret and a husband with another family, and she affects some good performances from the younger cast. The movie is beautifully shot and attempts to overcome its flaws in story with symbolic imagery. (Boy screens at the Landmark Cinema Friday, November 6 at 7:15 PM).

Family is writer-director-actor Faith Trimel’s exploration of the many difficulties faced by women of color in coming out, from trying to keep a career in entertainment and athletics to remaining a vital part of one’s family and community. The lowered quality of certain production values actually highlights much of what is potent about the film, the double discrimination felt by black SGL women. Trimel stars as Felicia, a moderately successful actress who tries to keep her girlfriend in the closet–literally–when her traditional Jamaican mother comes to visit. Felicia’s long-suffering lover tells her they’re through, and Felicia is forced to realize she has to come out. But not without her friends. Felicia dares her five best friends to come out with her within 30 days. Melanie wants to get back the daughter she had been raising with another women who walked out on her, Tonya proposes to her white girlfriend only to be dropped in on with a surprise visit by her judgmental sister, Sabrina is a doctor whose strong ties to her faith keep her from even accepting herself, Idrice is a WNBA star who is worried her career outside the court will not take off if she’s out, and Monifa outs herself only to find that she may not be as over men as she thinks. These six women work together and separately to understand themselves, their lives and their relationships, some rebuilding and some breaking down. (Family screens at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema on Saturday, November 14 at 2 PM).

Finally, Mein Freund Aus Faro (My Friend From Faro) features Melanie, a 22-year-old still figuring out her place in the world, even if she tries to be someone else in it. After hitting Jenny with her car, Melanie offers to take the teen and her friend to a club and is mistaken for a Portuguese boy (she calls herself Miguel) due to her close-cropped hair, small chest and masculine frame. Melanie and Jenny bond at the club, and Melanie begins hitting up the new guy at work, Nuno, to learn more about Portuguese culture. Meanwhile, Melanie’s brother and father are pressuring her about not having a boyfriend, so Melanie pays Nuno to stop by and pretend to be her new boyfriend, Miguel. In a not-so-subtle Shakepearean way, Melanie’s secret lives begin to converge, and when she finds out that Jenny is only 14, things really take a turn for the worse. The film features many grounded performances, particularly from such a young cast, and Melanie’s anguish over not having anything to identify herself as is heartrending. (Mein Freund Aus Faro screens at the Landmark Cinema on Sunday, November 8 at 7:15 PM).

by Kevin Sparrow

The opening night of Reeling 28 will feature the film The Big Gay Musical at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, which promises to be an outrageous pastiche of musical tropes, camp and heartfelt reverence for one of queerdom’s favorite genre’s. Two other comedy films playing during the festival match the exuberance set forth by this first night.

The Baby Formula is a Canadian mockumentary by director Alison Reid (who also co-stars as the director of the documentary) that posits what would happen if two women decided to make their own biological baby. Lilith and Athena are a happily married Toronto couple who have found a way to have their own kids: genetic testing with stem cells in mice has proven effective in utilizing eggs from one female to create a zygote with an egg from another female. As the first human subject, Athena is excited to become a new mommy, focusing on her own burgeoning belly and needs, leading Lilith to make the decision to be impregnated in the same way without informing her partner. The two reconcile and begin planning for the birth of their daughters, but it’s none too easy with an overly religious mom on Athena’s side, two alcoholic gay fathers on Lilith’s, and a secret to keep about how these babies were conceived. The documentary style creates compellingly natural characters with very distinct personalities and great performances by leads Angela Vint and Megan Fahlenbock and Rosemary Dunsmore as Athena’s mother. The humor is laced in surprising ways, but there are startling moments of poignancy throughout and some tough issues about what it means to accept one’s role as a parent. (The Baby Formula screens at the Landmark Cinema on Friday, November 6 at 9:15 PM).

For fans of early Peter Jackson, you may have found a good ringer in Kevin Hamedani’s ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction. Like all good horror, ZMD bills itself as “a political zomedy” and follows a few liberal-leaning protagonists in a small New England town that just happens to fall under attack by zombies. Frida Abbas has returned home after quitting Princeton, her excuse being to help her father run his restaurant, but all she encounters are neighbors mistaking her for every other identity but Iranian, which ends up even worse when a very Fox News-style channel purports that Muslim terrorists are behind the zombie outbreak. Tom has returned with his partner Lance to finally come out to his mother, only to find her already bitten and becoming zombie. They team up with Cheryl Banks, the ultra-liberal teacher who has put in her bid to run for mayor. Unfortunately, zombies alone aren’t their problem; the close-minded townspeople keep blaming and trying to get these “outsiders” to conform to conservative values. The one-liners are endless, the gore fantastic, and Frida’s theme song will stick with you for weeks. The film’s politics are evident throughout, but it slyly puts into context what it means to be a minority in America today. (ZMD screens at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema on Friday, November 13 at 9 PM).

by Jacob McPherson

80s-style synth-pop duo Chromeo released their third album DJ-Kicks back in September.  In efforts to promote this record, the group has been touring and recently rolled through Chicago at the Congress Theater Friday.  The show, which also included Crystal Castles and Boys Noize brought together a diverse mix of people who just wanted to have a good time.

Chromeo consists of childhood friends David Maclovitch and Patrick Gemayel who demonstrate that diversity is musical bliss.  The two met while growing up in Montreal and often joke that they are the only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture.  This bold statement speaks volumes about combining differences.

Even gay gossip blogger Perez Hilton has a soft spot for Chromeo.  He is quoted as saying, “If you like Justice or Daft Punk, then these boys will make you cream!”  Okay, calm down Perez, but they are pretty damn good.  The DJ-Kicks CD should be a part of anyone’s dance music collection.  It’s a feel-good CD that doesn’t discriminate.  Chromeo is neither gay nor straight, black nor white; it’s the way music should be.