Sunday 16 May 2010

the day before Idaho Day


To the Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Centre in Wellington Street this afternoon, for an open door event in advance of tomorrow's commemoration of Idaho Day (International Day Against Homophobia).

Clare hasn't visited the Centre in the past few years, during which time it's undergone some renovation and redevelopment and I've never seen round the whole building. So I ask Ian Robson - Centre Director and my colleague on the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) - to give us a quick tour of the premises. It's a great place they've got - very impressive indeed. Hard not to feel envious, but I do my best!

We join in the barbecue, but have to leave before a three o'clock showing of "The Laramie Project" on their big, wall-mounted, flatscreen HD TV (what, more envy?!?). I have to say that I didn't particularly fancy seeing this film, which tells the story of the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard (photo above) in Laramie, Wyoming. I tend not to like "issue" stories, which bang the drum for their cause and often forget that they are a movie or play and become hectoring, soapbox rants. But I'm pleasantly surprised to see that this features some of my favourite film and TV actors (among them Dylan Baker, Steve Buscemi, Nestor Carbonell, Michael Emerson, Ben Foster, Janeane Garofalo, Joshua Jackson, Laura Linney, Frances Sternhagen). It premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was first broadcast on HBO in March 2002. I've already asked to borrow it and am looking forward to watching it.

Find out more about Leicester LGBT Centre:
http://www.llgbc.com/

Find out more about Idaho Day:
http://www.homophobiaday.org/

Find out more about The Laramie Project:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laramie_Project_(film)

Find out more about Mathew Shepard - his life, death and legacy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

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