Last night I received the Point Foundation's Courage award in Los Angeles. The Point Foundation gives scholarships to LGBT graduates who have been marginalised in some way due to their sexuality or gender identification. It is a really inspiring outfit and I was indeed so inspired by the last event of theirs I attended in NYC that I have become a mentor and had my first session with my lovely mentee this past week.
The also lovely Rebecca Romijn, my fellow blue person in X Men 2, presented me with the award and I said in my speech how I had discussed the notion of courage with my mentee. Here's what I think: we need to stop putting the message out into the world that just living our lives as queer people is an act of courage. I think that plays into the hands of people who would like to make our lives so difficult that we would indeed need to be courageous just to be. I personally don't feel courageous. If I were living in, say, Malawi or Iran or Wyoming and saying what I say and being who I am then yes, perhaps I would be courageous.
But all I do is live my life the way I want to, say what I think, do what I think is right. Now what I do have is some power. I have a voice. I can provoke and enlighten and challenege prejudice. I can be heard. So I accepetd the award, at my mentee's suggestion, in the spirit of using my power responsibly. I pledged to continue to live my life, tell my story and responsibly use my power for ever.
In other news, I have become obsessed with the pianist Glenn Gould. I saw a really fascinating documentary about him last week and now am about to watch 32 Short films abut Glenn Gould, which stard Colm Fiore whom I worked with in the movie Titus (or as I called it Tight Ass)
Talking of Shakespeare, I saw The Tempest last week. The movie version that I am in, that is. I really liked it. It is being screened at the NY film festival next weekend but I will be in Miami to receive another lovely gong from the Lesbian and Gay Task force (see the box on the right). It is in cinemas in early December.
Whilst in LA I did a photo shoot with my firend Traver Rains which I cannot wait to see as it involves some nudity (not mine) and beer. haha. There's a teasing end to this entry. As it were, missus. Arf arf.