Our August film selection is the long awaited The Sandman, an LGBTQ-friendly fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. In bringing the story to the screen, the author and creative team have brought things up to date, reimagining many of its characters to reflect a more diverse and inclusive vision of the world.
Featured this month from the British Museum’s permanent collection is Desire, Love, and Identity, a thematic tour of objects that have a special connection to LGBTQ history. Same-sex love, desire, and gender diversity have always existed, and this is reflected in these works, offering glimpses into LGBTQ lives and experiences from around the world. Among the highlights is the plaque of Mesopotamian deity Ishtar, who had the power to assign gender.
We welcome your reactions and suggestions and look forward to taking this journey with you throughout 2022 as we strive to forge greater empathy and deeper commitment to providing access to justice and protections for the civil rights of all persons.
The Sandman
2022
“One of the most inclusive queer shows of the year.” –Gay Times
CREATED BY
Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, & Allan Heinberg
STARRING
AWARDS
87% critic approval rating,
Rotten Tomatoes
SEE IT ON
Netflix
MUSIC THAT MATTERS
“A Little Respect” is a 1988 synth-pop classic from the British Duo, Erasure, featuring Andy Bell (singer) and Vince Clarke (keyboards). Listen on Spotify.
QUEER ART FILM ARCHIVE
July 2022, Fire Island
June 2022, Everything Everywhere All at Once
May 2022, Heartstopper
April 2022, Angels of America
March 2022, Blue Is the Warmest Color
February 2022, Flee
January 2022, Moonlight
Also Recommended
Gender Queer: A Memoir
Maia Kobabe
Telling Kobabe’s story from adolescence to adulthood, the 2019 fully illustrated memoir is a de facto guide on gender identity that grapples with the hardships of coming out, the confusion of adolescent crushes, and the trauma of being nonbinary in a society that largely sees gender as limited to two categories: man and woman.
Gender Queer was the most banned book in the U.S. in 2021. Read the book and Emily Bazelon’s New York Times article, How a Debut Graphic Memoir Became the Most Banned Book in the Country.
The Battle Over Gender Therapy
By Emily Bazelon
More teenagers than ever are seeking transitions, but the medical community that treats them is deeply divided about why — and what to do to help them. More
She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders
By Jennifer Finney Boylan
The bestselling story of a transition—for its author, as well as the woman who loves her. Updated 10th anniversary edition contains new introduction, new update chapter, and a new epilogue by Deirdre “Grace” Boylan.
“Beautifully crafted, fearless, painfully honest, inspiring, and extremely witty. Jennifer Finney Boylan is an exquisite writer with a fascinating story, and this combination has resulted in one of the most remarkable, moving, and unforgettable memoirs in recent history.”
Framing Agnes (documentary film)
After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of trans actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access. Director Chase Joynt blends fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of Agnes, the pioneering, pseudonymized, transgender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans healthcare. An official 2022 Sundance Film Festival selection. Watch the trailer.
Stonewall Book Awards in Children’s & Young Adult Literature, 2022 Winners (American Library Association)
The Stonewall Book Awards are presented to English language books that have exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience. “Too Bright to See” by Kyle Lukoff (children) and “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo (young adult) are the 2022 recipients. More
Becoming Nicole
By Amy Ellis Nutt
The inspiring true story of transgender actor and activist Nicole Maines, whose identical twin brother, Jonas, and ordinary American family join her on an extraordinary journey to understand, nurture, and celebrate the uniqueness in us all. A New York Times bestseller. More
The Argonauts
By Maggie Nelson
Her genre-bending memoir, a finalist for Thanks.e National Books Critic Circle Award, offers fresh, fierce, and timely thinking about desire, identity, and the limitations and possibilities of love, language, and family. More
Pose
An American drama television series about New York City’s Black and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming drag ball culture scene in the 1980s and 1990s. More
41 Queer & Trans High School Movies All Teens Should See
These selected films from Out magazine explore the teen experience, and that jungle known as high school, with humor and compassion. For a long time, LGBTQ+ teens haven’t been able to see their experiences in movies, but that’s changing. See the list.
Always Jane
This American docuseries directed by Jonathan C Hyde follows two years in the life of Jane Noury, a transgender teenager living in rural New Jersey. Watch on Amazon Prime
JusticeAid leverages the community-building power of art and music to transform awareness into action in the fight against injustice. Each year we identify and raise funds for justice causes by hosting music, arts, and educational events. Since 2013 JusticeAid has granted more than 1.7 million dollars to nonprofits working to ensure access to justice for the disenfranchised and marginalized. Our grantee partners are fighting racist voter suppression and racist policing, working to end mass incarceration and inhumane immigration practices, ensuring access to legal services, and addressing the criminalization and hatred of others. Throughout 2022 JusticeAid is focusing on LGBTQ civil rights and raising money for SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders). In 2022, our gift to JusticeAid will support SMYAL’s work to meet the most pressing needs of queer & trans youth. Through affirming programs and services, SMYAL equips LGBTQ youth with the resources they need to thrive as they grow into adulthood.