70MM: ‘Tongues Untied’ and Spoken-Word Confessions

70mm
Welcome to 70mm, The Geek Spectrum’s premier film and television criticism column. Every two weeks, 70mm will look at a film or television series and examine the imprint it has left on both queer cinema and the LGBTQA+ community as a whole. The entertainment may have been praised, maligned, or courted controversy at the time of its release; it may have been “good” or “bad”; or it may not have been discussed enough. 

This week, we’ll be taking a look at Marlon Riggs’ 1989 documentary, Tongues Untied. Continue reading

Consent and Conventions

A lot of going to a con is based around attention. Paying attention to lots of exciting things, gaining the attention of a celebrity or artist you are excited to meet, or getting attention for all of your hard work on a cosplay. The community as a whole needs to gain an understanding of the difference between good attention and bad attention. The phrase “Cosplay is not consent” has been a huge message at conventions for the past couple of years; and we need to talk about what that means, and also realize that fame isn’t consent either. Continue reading