4 LGBTQ2 happenings to wind you up or down right now

What to watch, read, listen to, or look at: Oct. 15

What to watch: Club Six on OutTV

Scott Farley as Patrick in his short film “Club Six.”

The short comedy film Club Six by Toronto-based actor and screenwriter Scott Farley is now available to stream on OutTV. The nine-minute short follows Patrick (Farley) as he sits down with his last five sexual partners in a quiet restaurant to tell them that he has—and they probably have—syphilis. The scenes are set in the same restaurant but switch between his ex-partners as they all react to the news differently. Almost all of the exes were hoping to get back together with Patrick before he initiated them into “club six.” Club Six by Scott Farley (directed by Anthony J. Baldwin) is now available to watch on OutTV.

What to read: Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s

Married couple Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell released Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s on Oct. 14. Over the past 20 years, the couple has collected 2,800 unpublished vintage photographs of men in love. The book showcases the resilience of human connection, and the visual narrative includes images from all over the world—discovered at flea markets, in shoe boxes, family archives and old suitcases. Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell is now available for purchase on Amazon in the U.S. and Canada.

What to listen to: hopeless, romantic by Zach Benson

NYC singer-songwriter Zach Benson. Credit: Maggie Fraser

New York City-based queer singer-songwriter Zach Benson is releasing his debut album hopeless, romantic on Oct. 16. The pop singer has been making music since 2017, and his anticipated first album includes previously released tracks like “everything reminds me of u” and “mischief!” Benson combines his dancey, synth-heavy sound with introspective lyricism, reflecting on falling in and out of love. With the release of hopeless, romanitc, Benson hopes to inspire audiences of all identities—but especially queer kids—to live authentically and love unconditionally. Zach Benson’s hopeless, romantic will be available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify on Oct. 16

 

What to look at: The New York LGBTQ Film Festival

Lola Petticrew and Fionn O’Shea star in the Irish comedy “Dating Amber.”

NewFest presents the 32nd annual New York LGBTQ Film Festival online this year, running from Oct. 16 to 27 and featuring over 100 local and international films. Titles include the Irish satire Dating Amber, directed by David Freyne, about two closeted queer high schoolers who use each other as beards to get rid of their bullies; and the historical drama Ammonite, directed by Francis Lee, about two women in 19th-century England who discover themselves after having an affair. The festival also has virtual social events including panels on social justice, the pandemic’s impact on LGBTQ2-owned spaces, queer journalism and more. NewFest’s virtual New York LGBTQ Film Festival is available in the U.S. only, and festival passes are available on the organization’s website.

Sarah Taher

Sarah Taher is a Toronto-based multimedia journalist. She is an associate producer at CBC News: The National. Her freelance work can be seen in Xtra and The Pigeon, where she typically covers LGBTQ2S+ arts and culture, intersectional identities, and religion. Sarah has a BA in Journalism from Humber College. You can follow her on Twitter @sarahftaher

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