If I had met Joan Rivers as a child or young teenager, she would've taken one look at me and told my parents to buy me a lifetime subscription to Honcho and some lube.

Why? Not because I was a fey kid, but because that's what she does.

She says things that are pointed, funny and true. Or at least as true as she sees them.

And that's not easy to do or say. Check out Joan on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late 1960s. Here, her comedy is tailored to a mass television audience, but there is still something intelligent and biting in her satire of life as a woman during the era.

Joan is still working it and has recently put out a new DVD, called Don't Start with Me. Although her material has changed a bit, and is -- of course -- a bit raunchier, she knows how to nail a joke and does it in the best way: by making us laugh at ourselves, with ourselves.

In September of this year, I had the opportunity to interview and write about filmmaker Paul-Émile d'Entremont's latest work, Last Chance, about the risks and difficulties queer immigrants face in this country.

Now, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has announced that in honour of Human Rights Day on Dec 10, d'Entremont's film will be available free online from Dec 7 until the 9th.

If you were unable to catch the film at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, at Image+Nation in Montreal or at any of the other screenings, this is a great opportunity.

Last Chance by Paul Émile d'Entremont, National Film Board of Canada

 

This Thursday, the Gay Men's Health Project presents a panel discussion entitled "Is HIV Stigma Fueling New HIV Infections Among Gay/Bi Men?"

The discussion takes place in the Royal Bank Theatre at the Halifax Infirmary, 1796 Summer St. The talk begins at 7pm.

Speaking that evening will be Chris Aucoin (gay men's health coordinator for the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia), Cybelle Rieber, (prideHealth), Hugo Dann (queer community activist) and Matt Numer (assistant professor of health promotion at Dalhousie University).

For more information, contact Chris Aucoin,at gmhc@acns.ns.ca.

When Westerly Windina refers to occasions from the past, she never uses the first person, "I."

She says, "Peter did this" or "Peter was."

The Peter she speaks of is Peter Drouyn, the man who brought surfing to great heights of popularity. Peter Drouyn is the name given to Windina at birth.

Directors Alan White and Jamie Brisick are looking to Kickstarter to help them fund their film about Westerly. With the working title of Westerly: A Man, a Woman, an Enigma, the film hopes to tell the story of a person who rose to the height of their game and then almost disappeared.

According to the Kickstarter website, in 2002 Windina, then still living as Peter, almost drowned:

"It was a supernova," said Westerly. "It just kicked in one night, and suddenly Peter went, Westerly was there."

Check out the trailer for an idea of who Drouyn was, and who Windina is. 

English electro-pop wunderkinds Hot Chip understand how video works in the 21st century.

It's no longer a tool to showcase the band or a promotional tool that is graded on "rotations" on music video channels. It's about creating mouse clicks and "viral" interests.

I mean, these are the guys who once had a free floating head that shot lasers out of its eyes in a video where the actual band barely appeared.

The video for their latest single, "Don't Deny Your Heart," is a video game gone awry, with some man-on-man love, glittering dancers and video game logic.

It is said that all good things must come to an end.

In the case of Adam Goldman's web series, The Outs, all good things end serenely and with dignity.

Not all web series are good. In fact, most of them are rather terrible. But when one comes around that defies the stigma of being "just a web series," it's worth celebrating.

Unfortunately, the final episode of The Outs was just released. No more well-written characters and funny scenarios. No more inappropriate sex.

At least, not until Goldman decides on his next project.

We'll be waiting.

The Outs: Significant Others from The Outs on Vimeo.

Angry young homos, unite!

The preacher behind the pulpit would like to speak.

His mandate: fagdom.

Bruce LaBruce has been making films for more than 20 years, and a new documentary, Bruce LaBruce: The Advocate for Fagdom, has recently been released on DVD.

LaBruce's films are funny, witty, pornographic, violent, sexy, incendiary. It's nice to see that someone has taken the time to speak with him, his film cohorts, his muses and his friends to discuss the work and the man behind it.

Today, Nov 20, is the 14th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

I want to remember someone that I have never met but hold a great deal of respect for:

Marsha P Johnson.

The "P" stood for "Pay It No Mind."

Marsha was a character. Marsha was crazy. Marsha lived outside of society. Marsha lived outside of gender norms. Marsha was a sex worker. And it is rumoured that Marsha was the first queen to throw stones/bricks/chairs at the Stonewall riots in 1969.

If you don't know Marsha, check out this video, where her friends tell stories about her.

Marsha is also the namesake of Antony Hegarty's band, The Johnsons.

So today, on this day, I think of Marsha, a person who walked and worked outside of the lines. I think of her as I listen to this song by Hegarty.

On this day, remember the people you know. Remember the people you knew. And remember the people you wish you could have known that are gone.

After the recent release of a duet with Drake Jensen and the popularity of such parodies as "Chow Down at Chick-fil-A" and "Love You Like a Big Schlong," Willam Belli has released their first album.

Entitled The Wreckoning, the album is available for sale on Belli's website. 

To give you a taste of Belli, here's his parody of "I Love You Like a Love Song," better known as "I Love You Like a Big Schlong."

This Sunday, the Youth Project will be holding their annual brunch and auction at the Lord Nelson Hotel.

Hosted by the fabulous Candy Palmater, the event is one of the biggest ways the Youth Project raises funds for their programs and services.

The event takes place this Sunday, Nov 18. Tickets are $40, including meal and auction. Contact the Youth Project for ticket info.

***

This Monday, Azealia Banks released a new video from her Fantasea mixtape.

One of the tracks from that album, "Fierce," was made into a fan video, featuring snippets from famed documentary Paris Is Burning.

Well, another version was recently released. This one is a promotional clip for the clothing/shopping site Asos. Unfortunately, this is technically only a bit of a teaser and doesn't include the wonderful samples used in the original track - Jack & Jill's "Fierce Talk."

But we'll be happy to listen/watch in any case.

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