Short Film Feature: Iranian, Gay & Seeking Asylum

June 20 is World Refugee Day

June is Pride Month all over the world. Yesterday, the United Nations (UN) through the UN Human Rights Council, after years and years of disagreement and hesitations, has finally adopted a resolution in Geneva, Switzerland to extend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the members of the LGBT communities around the world. Thanks to the leadership of Brazil and South Africa along with 39 other co-signatory countries like Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, Timor-Leste, UK, and USA just to name a few.

In particular, the historic UN Resolution requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights "to prepare a study on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and call for a panel discussion to be held at the Human Rights Council (in Geneva) to discuss the findings of the study." 

The U.N. Human Rights Council approved, by a vote of 23 to 19 with three abstentions, a South African text expressing grave and immediate concern about abuses and discrimination suffered by people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 
In light of that, here's the story of two Iranian gay men as they start life anew in the U.K. as refugees after their partners were put to death by the Iranian Government because of their sexuality. In Iran, like more than 70 other countries in the world, homosexuality is still punishable by death.

Nominee, Best Short Documentary at the Phoenix Film Festival
Winner, Best LGBT Short Film at The New York Short Film Festival
Directed, Shot, & Produced by Glen Milner

Not Your Ordinary Sk8ter

June is Pride Month for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender/Transsexual, Queer & Questioning Youth) Community. In the recent spate of bullying-related youth suicides in the United States, positive stories that inspire and empower young people are more than welcome and in fact much needed than ever. Awareness initiatives and support networks organized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), NOH8 Campaign by Adam Boustka, the Dan Savage-initiated "It Gets Better Project" videos,  the TREVOR Project, and many more organizations like GLAAD are becoming stronger and more creative than ever. 

Also, notable personalities like recent Tony Awards host Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D. and How I Met Your Mother), Sir Ian McKellen (Yes, he's Magneto and Gandalf the Grey), the first lesbian world leader and Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and Academy Award-winner and HBO's True Blood lead, Anna Paquin have all contributed to the debunking of stereotypes and labels about gays and other members of the LGBTQ.  

Skateboarder extraordinaire, Hillary Thompson

If you've seen the amazing movies "Grind" and "Lords of Dogtown" about the skateboarding culture, you'll understand that great skills matter more than anything else. Here's the story of 23-year old transsexual skateboarder Hillary Thompson and her interview profile with skateboarding world's King Shit Magazine: