Fans from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, and all across Europe are coming to New York City to meet the stars of their favourite gay storylines at The Gays of Our Lives International Event (www.gaysofourlives.org). The first-of-its-kind event – to be held March 26-28, 2010 – is the setting for this primarily online community to come face-to-face with the celebrities who portray some of television’s most innovative gay characters.
The Gays of Our Lives International Event will also provide the unique opportunity to compare treatments of gay storylines in American and European media. American actors Hal Sparks (QUEER AS FOLK), Scott Evans (ONE LIFE TO LIVE) and Gregory Michael (DANTE'S COVE and GREEK) will meet German actors Dennis Grabosch and Igor Dolgatschew (ALLES WAS ZÄHLT), Jo Weil and Thore Schölermann (VERBOTENE LIEBE) and Felix Isenbügel (GUTE ZEITEN SCHLECTE ZEITEN).
Drawn by the strength of these same-sex relationships and the positive representations of gay characters, especially in German daily television, people from around the world have become fans of these storylines. Organizer Shirley Ozment says, “Time and time again, viewers remark that they feel marginalized in the media, where heterosexual relationships are about all you see. When they discover these actors, and see something of themselves on screen, it’s an empowering thing.”
The international fanbase has grown directly from streaming media sites like YouTube and DailyMotion. Dedicated fans edit and subtitle the shows to make them accessible to a wider audience, fostering a vibrant online community. The Gays of Our Lives International Event celebrates these communities and gives their members the opportunity to meet the actors who bring their favourite stories to life.
The three-day event will be an enjoyable mix of entertainment and information; events scheduled include a dance party, question & answer sessions, awards for the best fan-made videos, and many more chances for attendees to interact with the actors in a relaxed, intimate setting. “We’re especially excited that many of our events will take place at the historic Stonewall Inn,” Ozment adds, “an appropriate setting, we think, to celebrate the positive way that gay characters are represented in these shows.”
All profits raised from the event will go to support the Trevor Project and Aidshilfe Köln, two charities that the organizers believe represent the kind of positive message promoted by these shows.
Cheers for spreading the word, Roger! We're so excited about this special event - it will be a great chance to celebrate how soaps present strong, positive images of gay characters as well as to dig deeper into their storylines and find out what makes them tick.
ReplyDeleteIf anybody wants to join us, we've got just 8 spots left. It'll be a weekend to remember!