Digital Queeries – Web pages and online services – Brief Article
Eric Mueller
Gay, the Cuban way
Despite the success of the film Before Night Falls, which portrays gay lire in Cuba in the 1960s and ’70s, a lot is still hidden regarding gay life in the country today. Attempting to change that is the Gay Cuba Web page, which provides information links, a section on Cuban music, and a resource center with a half dozen more Cuba-related sites. Reflecting the state of Cuba’s attitude toward homosexuality, you won’t find any flashing links marked “Gay Cuba here,” but you will find solid information for anyone curious about being gay in this island nation, http://www.gay-cuba.com
Free money
With a Web site that shows a flair for organized giving, the Pride Foundation funds organizations and grants scholarships in the Pacific Northwest, giving away more than $2.8 million since 1987. If you live in this part of the country, chances are you can find money earmarked for somebody just like you. Among the scholarships listed are ones for gay men of color, for Latino teens who either identify as gay themselves or were raised by at least one gay or lesbian parent, for lesbian residents of Washington State, and for anyone under 25 living in Washington State with at least one lesbian or gay parent, http://www.pridefoundation.org
Hot Web site
The Commercial Closet
Based on research by business reporter Mike Wilke, The Commercial Closet is the world’s largest collection of gay imagery in advertising. Comprising dozens of gay-themed spots (a few are print ads, but the majority are TV ads stored online as QuickTime movies, with text descriptions and commentary on each), the site presents a comprehensive overview of gay ads worldwide. The time line shows major milestones (such as the first cross-dressing ad, the first ad featuring HIV, and America’s first gay kiss), providing an overview of just how far we’ve come–or in some cases, how far we still have to go. http://www.commercialcloset.org
–By Eric Mueller. Send tips and URLs to emueller@advocate.com
COPYRIGHT 2001 Liberation Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
