Evenings Out

Daddies, butches and studs

Two films show the masculine side of women�s gender roles

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland--Sistah Sinema returns to Negative Space Gallery on January 12 with a double feature examining the lives of queer women of color who are, to quote one director, �the woMAN in the relationship.�

The first, Paulara Hawkins� They Call Me Sir, examines studs, masculine-identified black women who love women. In her film, she interviews five friends and tries to unwrap the complexities of the stud.

�There are categories and sub-categories that confuse the average person,� she writes. �But to them, it is crystal clear. There are daddies, butches, studs, soft studs, fems and girlie-girls.�

The second film is Kai M. Green�s It Gets Messy in Here, a 30-minute documentary on masculine-identified queer women.

What sets Green�s film apart is that it focuses on bathroom use--if you�re a butch lesbian who gets mistaken for a man, which do you use? If you�re FTM, what are the dangers of using the proper bathroom versus the embarrassments of using the women�s room? Combining humor and deep sociopolitical insight, Green�s subjects delve deeply into the issue, bringing their own personal experiences to the fore, since the personal is political.

Sistah Sinema is a national network of events focusing on cinema by and for queer women of color. A potluck social time begins the evening at 6:30 pm, followed by screenings at 7:30 pm and a moderated discussion afterward.

The screening will be held at Negative Space Gallery on the second floor of Asian Town Center, 3820 Superior Avenue in Cleveland. Admission is $5 in advance, $10 at the door. For more information, go to www.sistahsinema.com.

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