Robin Damba Posts

The score to date: 12 films, three press conferences.
The score I’m hoping for later this afternoon: Eagles 27-Packers 13.
Before I head down the block to the Foxes Den to watch the game, a few thoughts on this year’s Toronto Film Festival to date. The sheer volume of films, stars, journalists and hype-generating industry mavens is pretty much overwhelming. The trick is in staying cool even when you are in a hallway for an hour waiting to get into a room to hear George Clooney pontificate (which he does very well by the way) about his new film Michael Clayton. The films with big stars will sell themselves.
Then there is a movie like Juno, director Jason Reitman’s follow-up to Thank You For Smoking. It is the first movie that really popped for me. About a smartass and practical 16-year-old who finds out she is pregnant (Ellen Page), the movie features tasty dialogue, a fabulous ensemble of actors (Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney) and a talented director on a roll. This movie will be coming to a cinema near you shortly. Don’t miss it

Yesterday (Saturday, Sept. featured a classic Festival mix. There was the Danish flick With Your Permission that has some true moments of hilarity, but its use of spousal abuse as the basis for comedy doesn’t hint at satire, which would have made it more palatable. This might be a case of Danish humor that doesn’t translate.
The evening featured a chick flick double shot that was better than expected. Helen Hunt, who hasn’t been on screen often enough the last few years, makes her directorial debut with Then She Found Me. Hunt smartly realized that if you are going to make a chick flick, put the call out to Bette Midler to play the mother that gave you up for adoption 39 years earlier. A film about having a baby, finding yourself and finding true romance has moments that have too much Hollywood by-the-book. However, it also comes together with a true emotional heart that’s sentimental but not cloying. By the way, why is it that Colin Firth is absolutely the perfect nice guy for a rebound romance? I don’t know but he is.
The night ended with a movie that is full tilt Hollywood chick flick in all its glorious excess, The Jane Austen Book Club. Adapted from the novel and directed by Robin Swicord, the movie is about some friends who get together to have the book club of the title while their love lives reflect the Jane Austen playbook big time. While it doesn’t try to color outside the chick flick box, when you have an ensemble that includes Kathy Baker, Jimmy Smits, Amy Brennerman, Maria Bello, Hugh Dancy and Emily Blunt doing the coloring, who cares?
Signing off now — Are you ready for some football?

After a really long absense, I’ll be blogging next week in conjunction with “Blogging for LGBT Families Day” on June 1st. Below is COLAGE’s media release encouraging others to join in.

Are you a youth or adult with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender parent/s ? Do you want to help raise visibility and awareness about people with LGBT parents? Do you use any online forums for networking or blogging?

We want you to participate in the first-ever COLAGE Speak OUT Campaign!
Blogging for LGBT Families Day

http://mombian.com/2007/04/16/blogging-for-lgbt-families-2007/
Friday, June 1st, 2007.

COLAGE is the only national organization working with children, youth and adults with one or more LGBT parent/s. Our Speak OUT Campaigns engage our membership to use their voices to raise visibility and impact change. We have chosen this campaign to encourage our members to utilize online forums in which they participate as a means for raising visibility and awareness about children of LGBT parents.

Through our first-ever Speak OUT Campaign, COLAGE aims to increase the number of youth and adults with LGBT parents who participate in this impactful event. “We know that when we speak out about our true experiences, share the blessings and challenges of having families deemed “different” by the rest of society, and talk about the ways in which we and our families are not equally validated or protected, we have a unique and powerful ability to impact change.” shared Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director. “Furthermore, particularly for youth and young adults, the internet, online social networks, and blogs are becoming increasingly influential mediums of communication and we recognize that by being out as people with LGBT parents online we can continue to transform society.”

What is Blogging for LGBT Families Day?
We are looking for at least 30 youth and adults with LGBT parents to participate in the 2nd annual Blogging for LGBT Families Day. It’s easy to participate- on June 1st, 2007 post a journal entry, essay, article or creative piece to your favorite online form. Just make sure that your piece explicitly talks about having an LGBT parent.

Over 130 bloggers participated in last year’s Blogging for LGBT Families Day. They included lesbian moms, gay dads, adult children of LGBT parents, members of the transgender community, LGBT individuals without children, and straight allies. Countries represented included the United States as well as Australia, Canada, and the UK.

What should I write about?
You can write about any topic related to having LGBT parents that you like- serious, political, humorous, sentimental¦ anything! Use your post to come out about having an LGBT parent, to share a story about your family, to talk about myths and truths about having LGBT parents, or provide your insight as to what its like to have an LGBT parent. You can write about current legislation such as ENDA (The Federal Employee Non Discrimination Act) or the Uniting American Families Act which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by adding “permanent partner” next to “spouse” and provide the same immigration procedures for same-sex partners as currently exist for immediate relatives of United States citizens. By highlighting these or other pieces of legislation you can talk about the ways your family does receive the same rights and respect as other families or encourage your online friends and family to take further action.

To participate in this Speak OUT Campaign there are just 5 easy steps!

1. Send an email to Meredith@colage.org letting us know that you plan to participate.

2. Start developing your post for Blogging for LGBT families day. Let COLAGE know if you want any help developing or editing your post.

3. On June 1st, 2007 post your entry to any online forum:
a. MySpace
b. Facebook
c. LiveJournal
d. Blogs
e. Etc.
f. If you do not have a blog, you can post your creation on the www.queerspawn.com blog, just let us know that you want to and we’ll help you make it happen!

4. Send COLAGE a copy of your article and a link to your post (when possible) by emailing Meredith@colage.org. Also send an e-mail to lgbtfamilies@mombian.com with the permalink to your post. (If you know how, you may also add the tag blogging for lgbt families days to your entry.)

5. Visit http://www.mombian.com on June 1 to read what other members of the LGBT community and allies have written for this event.Celebrate that you are joining with COLAGErs across the world to educate our families, friends, and communities about the experiences of youth and adults with LGBT parents.

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