Pride Month ’07 offers more GLBT programming than you can shake a queer stick at. Including your Pride TV Guide day by day.
By Nancy Ford
If you listen closely, you can almost hear arch-conservatives shrieking at their TV screens, squeezing the AA batteries right out of their tightly-clutched remote controls: “The gays are taking over the airwaves! You can’t even change the channel without running into something queer!”
Funny thing is, this month, they’re right.
Never before has June, traditionally recognized worldwide as Pride Month, seen so much GLBT television programming.
We expect carriers like Sundance, Bravo, and BBC America to come through with homo-specific selections during the anniversary month of 1969’s Stonewall Rebellion to satisfy their pervasively gay-and-gay-friendly viewers. And they don’t disappoint.
Among its many GLBT offerings, Sundance Channel goes behind bars with Songbirds , a British documentary revealing in music the stories of a number of Sutton, England, prison inmates, many of them lesbians.
That seriously-metrosexual NBC spawn, Bravo, brings back our favorite celeb-slammer, Kathy Griffin, for the third season premiere of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List . Set your TiVo for the episode in which Kathy emcees the Gay Adult Video Awards.
BBC America’s steamy Footballers’ Wives gets even steamier in its fifth (and presumably, final) season as married supermodel Liberty (Phina Oruche) takes to frolicking with her new bilingual, bisexual personal assistant, Urszula (Lucia Giannecchini).
A bit less predictable is USA Network’s latest, offering Debra Messing, our favorite Fag Hag (and we say that with love), starring in the comedic The Starter Wife . Though not specifically gay in content, the made-for-TV film about life after divorce is certainly gayish, with Judy Davis ( Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows , Serving in Silence ) costarring and Jon Avent ( Fried Green Tomatoes ) directing.
But perhaps most notable is Turner Classic Movies’ Screened Out: Gay Images in Film series. Every Monday and Wednesday evening in June, TCM presents six to seven films of GLBT influence, going as far back as 1912’s Algie, The Miner and spanning to 1970’s The Boys in the Band . TCM has categorized each night’s screenings beginning with The Early Years (1912-1933), advancing to Gays Before the Code (1932-1934), Men and Women Behind Bars (1932-1957), The Dark Side: Film Noir and Crime (1941-1967), Horror (1943-1963), Comedy (1931-1968), Code-busters (1956-1962), and finishing with Out and Open (1967-1970). Hosted by film historian Richard Barrios, with such guests as Michael Musto, Charles Busch, and OutSmart coverboys Tab Hunter and Alan Cumming.
So put your feet up, slide a bag of popcorn into the microwave, and enjoy the total homo immersion while it lasts–July, with its schlocky Independence Day tributes, is right around the corner.
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SATURDAY• June 2
The Starter Wife
Chris Diamantopoulos co-stars as Debra Messing’s (Will & Grace) gay interior decorator-best friend in this six-hour TV movie. USA Network, 9 a.m., with many repeats.
C.R.A.Z.Y.
Jean-Marc Vallée’s award-winning dramedy about coming out in 1970s Montreal. Sundance Channel, 11 p.m.
Monday • June 4
Screened Out: Gay Images in Film
Night One: The Early Years (1912-1933) screens Algie, the Miner , 7 p.m.; The Monste r, 7:30 p.m.; Exit Smiling, 9:15 p.m.; The Broadway Melody, 10:45 p.m.; Way Out West , 12:45 a.m.; The Office Wife , 2 a.m.; and Stage Mother, 3:15 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
Gay Sex in the ’70s
U.S. television premiere of the 2004 documentary about gay life in post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS New York. Sundance Channel, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY • June 5
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Third season opener finds the pseudo-diva newly divorced. Bravo, 9 p.m., with many repeats.
WEDNESDAY• June 6
Footballers Wives
Fifth season of the British soap premieres. BBC America, 7 p.m.
Screened Out: Gay Images in Film
Night Two: Gays Before the Code (1932-1934) screens The Sign of the Cross , 7 p.m.; Our Betters , 9:15 p.m.; Double Harness , 10:45 p.m.; Queen Christina , 12 a.m.; Wonder Bar , 1:45 a.m.; The Sport Parade , 3:15 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
SATURDAY • June 9
High Art
The 1998 smack-fueled hit starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. Sundance Channel, 11 p.m.
MONDAY • June 11
In the Life
The GLBT newsmagazine features its annual “Voices of Pride” episode, hosted by former NBA player John Amaechi. PBS, 12:30 a.m.
Screened Out: Gay Images in Film
Night Three: Men and Women Behind Bars (1932-1957) screens Hell’s Highway , 7 p.m.; Ladies They Talk About , 8:15 p.m.; Caged, 9 p.m.; So Young, So Bad , 11:15 p.m.; The Strange One , 1 a.m.; Women’s Prison , 3 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
Songbirds
U.S. TV premiere of the 2006 British doc profiling inmates at a women’s prison. Sundance Channel, 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY • June 13
Screened Out:
Gay Images in Film
Night Four: The Dark Side–Film Noir and Crime (1941-1967) screens The Big Combo , 7 p.m.; Suddenly Last Summer, 9 p.m.; Reflections in a Golden Eye , 11 p.m.; Gilda , 1 a.m.; The Maltese Falcon , 3 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
SATURDAY • June 16
Edward II
1991 adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s play about the king who risked everything for the love of his best friend. Sundance Channel, 11 p.m.
MONDAY • June 18
The View
We were going to say that Rosie O’Donnell kicks off her final week as co-host. Guess not.
Screened Out:
Gay Images in Film
Night Five: Horror (1943-1963) screens The Uninvited , 7 p.m.; The Picture of Dorian Gray , 9 p.m.; Voodoo Island , 11 p.m.; The Haunting , 12:30 a.m.; The Seventh Victim , 2:30 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
Girl, Positive
S. Epatha Merkerson plays a lesbian in this premiere original movie about HIV and a high school senior girl. Lifetime, 8 p.m.
Paper Dolls
Documentary about a group of transgender Filipinos who work as both caregivers and club performers. U.S. TV premiere. Sundance Channel, 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY • June 20
Screened Out:
Gay Images in Film
Night Six: Comedy (1931-1968) screens Manhattan Parade , 7 p.m.; Sylvia Scarlett , 8:30 p.m.; Turnabout , 10:15 p.m.; That Touch of Mink , 11:45 p.m.; The Producers , 1:30 a.m.; Designing Woman , 3:15 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
THURSDAY • June 21
Fabulous:
The Story of Queer Cinema
An historical documentary featuring openly GLBT filmmakers and actors. IFC, 6:30 p.m.
Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love
The 1995 romantic lesbian comedy introduces Laurel Holloman (“Tina Kennard” on The L Word). IFC, 8 p.m.
Black Grace:
From Cannon’s Creek to Jacob’s Pillow
The unlikely development and triumph of a dance troupe of Pacific Islander and Maori men. PBS, 9 p.m.
Before Night Falls
Julian Schnabel’s 2000 narrative film about gay Cuban writer, Reinaldo Arenas, with Johnny Depp as a transgender prison inmate. IFC, 9:40 p.m.
FRIDAY • June 22
The Click List:
Ultimate Queer Edition
Chronicling the best in GLBT entertainment. Logo, 9 p.m.
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Classic about eight gay friends vacationing in upstate New York. IFC, midnight.
Sugar
Set in 1980s Toronto, a gay teen falls for Butch, a prostitute not interested in sex without pay. IFC, 2 a.m.
SATURDAY • June 23
Loggerheads
Kip Pardue and Bonnie Hunt star in this montage that includes a young gay man living with HIV and the mother who gave him up for adoption. Sundance Channel, 11 p.m.
SUNDAY • June 24
D.E.B.S.
Tammy Lynn Michaels and Holland Taylor star in this 2004 action parody about a lesbian paramilitary organization. Logo, 9 p.m.
MONDAY • June 25
Screened Out:
Gay Images in Film
Night Seven: Code-Busters (1956-1962) screens Tea and Sympathy, 7 p.m.; Advise and Consent, 9:15 p.m.; The Children’s Hour, 11:45 p.m.; Walk on the Wild Side, 1:45 a.m.; Victim, 3:45 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
Semper Fi
Premiere of this documentary about a 34-year-old gay man’s solo stage play retelling his experience with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in Iraq. Showtime, 7:30 p.m.
Red Without Blue
U.S. television premiere of this documentary about identical twins, gay Mark and transgender Alex. Sundance Channel, 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY• June 27
Screened Out:
Gay Images in Film
Night 8: Out and Open (1967-1970) screens Staircase, 7 p.m.; The Fox, 9 p.m.; The Boys in the Band, 11 p.m.; The Killing of Sister George, 1:15 a.m. Turner Classic Movies.
FRIDAY • June 29
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Another season of the hit Canadian teen soap premieres. The N, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY • June 30
Southern Belles
Anna Faris plays a teen eager to move to the big city with her best friend (Laura Breckenridge). Sundance Channel, 11 p.m.
• ABC www.abc.com
• BBC America www.bbcamerica.com
• Bravo www.bravotv.com
• Independent Film Channel www.ifc.com
• Lifetime www.lifetimetv.com
• Logo www.logoonline.com
• The N www.the-n.com
• PBS www.pbs.org
• Showtime www.sho.com
• Sundance www.sundancechannel.com
• Turner Classic Movies www.tcm.com
• USA Network www.usanetwork.com
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