Thank You For Your Queerness

At the Billy Wilder Theater

Copresented by the The Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation

There have been gays in the military since at least Achilles and Patroclus, the two legendary, mythical Greeks who gave their lives making the world safe for democracy (or really the invention of democracy by Cleisthenes one thousand years later). In honor of all LGBTQ+ service members since then, this Veterans Day, the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project presents a screening of cinematic representations of queerness in the armed forces. This small canon includes films likeMerry Christmas, Mr. LawrenceandReflections in a Golden Eye, depressing masterpieces of repression reflecting the struggle of servicemembers forced to hide their sexual and gender identities at the risk of losing their careers, benefits and reputation were they to be discovered. However, tonight we’re featuring an alternative, empowered program of two surreal, erotic shorts and an underseen, delightfully camp arthouse short feature. The etymological origins of the word “camp” are unknown — could it derive from the dancelike choreography of the military parade and the excess of their dazzling uniforms? Ponder that possibility as you enjoy these liberated visions of queer service.