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david uk
02-05-2007, 04:51 PM
an encouraging Gay news story for once :)


http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3638.html

Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen was the guest of honour at the launch of the third Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans History Month in central London on Saturday.

Organised by the LGBT education campaigning group, Schools Out, the annual event was initiated in 2005 as their first major project after the repeal of the controversial Section 28 five years earlier.

Schools Out has been campaigning for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality in education since 1974.

Sir Ian came out of the closet in 1988 in protest at the Thatcher govenment's homophobic Section 28 of the Local Government Act, which prohibited local authorities from "promoting" homosexual lifestyles as valid.

The actor lauded Schools Out for their work in promoting LGBT equality in education, and also praised the diverse and dynamic audience attending the launch, which included teachers, academics and activists.

The event, held in Drill Hall theatre in London, is fast becoming one of the major events in the LGBT and education calendars, and this year attracted several high profile guest performers, including Mz Fontaine, the first openly-gay lesbian rapper.

ponytail
02-06-2007, 01:22 PM
I love Sir Ian. Glad (and not surprised) to hear that he's giving back to the community.

RedjackRyan
02-06-2007, 01:28 PM
I've become a huge Ian McKellan fan lately.. I hadn't really taken much notice of him one way or the other until he put the definitive stamp on Magneto in the X-men movies. I never thought he'd be able to pull off the character until I saw him in action. The man is an Actor with a capital A, since then i've sought out some of his other work and he's always been excellent.

ponytail
02-06-2007, 01:35 PM
Check him out in "Gods And Monsters" if you haven't yet, Ben. He's phenomenal in that.

DaveM
02-07-2007, 01:53 AM
"Gods and Monsters" is an astonishing film--not 100% historically accurate but a remarkable view into one of the great minds of early Hollywood. Naturally, the folks who hand out honors and statuettes seem to have ignored it. Sigh.

Sir Ian McKellen, to my knowledge, has never made a bad film. He's one of the names I watch for when a movie comes out. If he's in the cast, you know there'll be something to think about during the screening other than your popcorn.

RedjackRyan
02-07-2007, 08:16 AM
I'll make a point of checking that one out, Jack. Thanks for the tip!