Caravaggio’s 16th-century painting “Narcissus,” in which a man bends over and gazes closely into a pool of water reflecting his face back at him, is a touchstone for bi Japanese director Tsuoyoshi Shoji’s latest film. The very first image of “Old Narcissus,” expanded from Shoji’s 2017 short, quotes this artwork, but with a very crucial difference. Caravaggio depicted a young man who sees himself at the same age. Yamazaki (Taijiro Tamura), a man in his 70s, glances into water and sees the twink he used to be 50 years ago. Periodically, “Old Narcissus” goes back to this scene, which re ..read more

Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel (“How I Learned to Drive”) is most comfortable when writing about subjects that directly reflect her life. Early in her career, the out playwright stated that she sends a message to her brother Carl, who died of AIDS in 1988, “just a little something in the atmosphere of every play to try and change the homophobia in our world.” In Vogel’s latest work “Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions,” a three-hander now at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater, this message comes through loud and proud. In fact, a principal character in the play (also named Carl) is inspired by ..read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on an appeals court ruling that allowed a transgender athlete to compete on her middle school teams, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. “We’re not going to allow the elites in the swamp to impose their values on West Virginia citizens,” Morrisey said at a news conference in the state Capitol. A Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 last week that West Virginia’s transgender sports ban violated Becky Pepper Jackson’s rights under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that ..read more

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out our roundup of events in the days ahead. Queens World Film Festival Thursday, April 18 through Friday, April 19; various times  Kaufman The Zukor Theater, 74-15 35th Ave #6f, Queens, NY Queens World Film Festival spotlights 7 LGBTQ+ films from, for, and about community, including “Ambrosia” by Amy Northup, “Unlucky in Love” by Catriona Rubenis-Stevens, “Check Please” by Victor Mignatti and Scott T. Hinson, and more. Tickets and full-schedule via QueensWorldFilmFestival.org. Queer Country Swing Party Thursday, April 18, 6 p.m. 9 Bob Note ..read more

Hundreds of athletes, professors, and advocacy organizations penned letters to the NCAA on April 23 calling on its leadership body to support trans athletes and make it clear they are welcome on college sports teams. The letters were addressed to the NCAA Board of Governors, a governing body, and featured signatures from prominent and well-respected stars ranging from Megan Rapinoe to Sue Bird, adding further weight to the cause. Other former professional athletes who signed the letter included former NFL players Chris Kluwe, who is an ally, and RK Russell, who came out as bisexual in 2019 whe ..read more

“Challengers,” directed by gay filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, is the tale of two tennis pros who’ve known each other since they were 12. Professional tennis players Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) are in love. They know it, and they’re even capable of expressing their desire without too much self-consciousness. But their potential is wrecked by competition and their inability to act out queerness without the meditation of a woman. Tashi (Zendaya) began as one of their peers, playing tennis at the college they all attended. After a broken knee destroyed her ability to participate in th ..read more

The origin story of the legendary East Village club the Pyramid is now in print. Reading “We Started a Nightclub” is a bit like immersing yourself in a fairy tale, although we’re guessing that the sex and drugs involved will probably prevent Disney from ever animating it. But there’s something magical about the story – and tragic as well. In the most perfect of places, a tiny nightclub was born, and open to just about everything — music, drag shows, performance art, theater, rock, disco, opera, Shakespeare, gay, straight, transgender and more personalities than stars on Broadway. Its heyday wa ..read more

LGBTQ groups are calling on the Supreme Court to reject local laws in Oregon that bar individuals from sleeping or camping on public property, arguing that such policies disproportionately harm marginalized people and open the floodgates to jurisdictions looking to clamp down on homeless individuals.  The groups spoke out on April 22 as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which originated in 2018 when the Oregon Law Center first filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of homeless individuals who said they were impacted by the ordinances in ..read more

This month’s Gay City News music roundup reviews new albums by gay synth-pop icons the Pet Shop Boys and trans “ambient emo” artist Claire Rousay. Pet Shop Boys | “Nonetheless”| Parlophone/Warner | April 26th Pet Shop Boys.Alasadair McLellan By this point, we know what to expect from the Pet Shop Boys: ironic yet sincere lyrics, music that synthesizes disco and synth-pop, arena-ready production. “Nonetheless,” their 15th album, delivers while going in a new direction. It gives off a mood of jaded melancholy, with late ‘60s Scott Walker, Roxy Music’s “Avalon” and ‘80s sophistipop as touchstones ..read more

A new queer rock festival is making its debut at Coney Island this May. Frankie Fest is a one-night-only show that highlights queer and LGBTQ+ ally artists. The festival was created in honor of Frankie Maddox Rex of the local band The FMs, who tragically passed away on May 11, 2022. “It felt like a very obvious thing for us, this is such a big part of Frankie’s life and legacy,” said Matte Namer, Rex’s bandmate in The FMs. “I think many people have memorials for friends that have passed or funerals. This just feels like the best way to honor them.” “Frankie Fest is something that I’ve wanted t ..read more