lgbtq
Thinking about La Bola Negra
Thinking about: La bola negra 🍿
I went to see “La Bola Negra” - the Black Ball - at the New Zealand International Film Festival. It was one of the closing night films - along with Coward - also an amazing film about which I’ll have more to say.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about “La Bola Negra”. Its epic scope, its amazing cinematography, genuinely moving performances, and a script to die for. But most of all, its relevance to today’s world, where hate and violence towards gay and queer people is once again on the rise. This story out of the Spanish Civil War couldn’t be more relevant, and connects us to the loss and suffering of queer people in that era.
It is so vital that these stories are told and heard. The loss of Lorca and so many other gay and queer people, the literal and figurative burying of their stories, the heartache and violence - all need to be recovered, remembered and drive us to action.
When this movie comes out in cinemas, go and see it. Then think and talk about what it is saying, and act.
Reading "The Disappearers"
Currently reading: The Disappearers: A Novel by Marlon James 📚
I’ve started reading Booker-Prize winning author Marlon James’ latest novel, which is also longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize.
The reviews have been laudatory, and I concur, even though I’m only half way through the novel. This story draws you in and and never lets you go. I knew from the reviews that something terrible was coming, and this sense of foreboding only got worse as I came to know and empathise with the characters. When the full horror hit, it was devastating. I’m now in the middle stages of the story, and my jaw is still dropping as events unfold.
This novel is raw, true and powerful. It refuses to flinch away from the reality facing so many gay and queer people across the world, where intolerance and hatred are on the rise. The first part of the novel is set in Jamaica in 1988 - when I was 18 and living in equally homophobic Malaysia - but horrifyingly this story is increasingly relevant and vital today.
This is such an important novel, and has already made such an impact on me I couldn’t wait till the end to post about it. I’ll be back when I’ve finished - or as the New York Times review said - when the story finishes me….
Who Wore It Better?
Mandatory Menswear entry for Rainbow Windows of Wellington (part of the Wellington Pride Festival 2026)
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
So much fun at Fieldgays 2026
Fantastic hosts Hamish & Alistair, amazing crew of Sam, Emile, Mark, Andy & Ross.
Edmund White
Vale Edmund White (1940-2025), prolific, highly talented and sex-positive gay author. His “A Boy’s Own Story” was seminal for many of us in the 1980s. His most recent memoir “The Loves of My Life”, published only this year, is a perfect capstone for a man who loved men, and wrote about them so well.
Birthday book haul
Thanks to Mum, Dad, and Bill for the Unity Books vouchers 🥰
- Atlas of the New Zealand Wars (Vol I) (Derek Leask, 2025)
- The Monastic World: A Thousand Year History (Andrew Jotischky, 2025)
- The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020 (Diarmaid Ferriter, 2024)
- Bodies of Men (Nigel Featherston, 2019)
- Patria: Lost Countries of South America (Laurence Blair, 2024)
A wonderful weekend
Had a wonderful weekend with Bill. Started with gym sessions for us both, then brunch at Floriditas where we chatted with many people we know. Then drove up the coast to Peka Peka to have lunch with friends of Bill’s. A quick trip to Hōkio Beach to treat our drinking water, then back to Wellington to catch up with friends for a birthday and then a play at Circa Theatre - “Hope” - get your tickets now!.
Sunday - a very hot humid day - saw us walking through Mt Victoria and along Oriental Bay, then brunch once more, followed by shopping at the waterfront farmers market. A quick catchup with friends, then a visit to The Dowse Art Museum in the Hutt Valley - then Bill preparing for family dinner, and me joining a Wellington Pride Festival planning meeting.
