UPDATE: Penn And Black's Pro-Gay Oscar Speeches Censored In Asia PLUS Black's Sexy Pics
UPDATE (2/26): Did Asian broadcasters censor Penn and Black's speeches against homophobia? And check out some sexy pics of Milk's young gay screenwriter... after the jump!
Gus Van Sant's Milk won two Academy Awards last night: Sean Penn for Best Actor and Lance Black for Best Original Screenplay. The winners' speeched spoke out against homophobic intolerance striking a chord not only with gay men and artists, but world citizens. Sean Penn's speech is touching, although he does end with an incoherent closing remark conflating Obama's election with Mickey Rourke's comeback... eh?
Lance Black, a gay Mormon born in Texas living in Prop 8 California is a mixed bag of American repression. But his speech is awesome. He encourages young gay youth to have hope. It's amazing to think that Lance raised with so much cultural baggage against him, unfettered himself and made a great work about an inspiring gay hero. Towleroad ran a great exclusive recently where Lance discussed his experience growing up gay and writing about Harvey Milk... truly inspiring.
In other good news, Elton John raised millions for an AIDS foundation at an Oscar party fundraiser. For a quick list of Oscar winners, click here.
UPDATE (2/26): After winning the Oscar for Best Screenwriter, some sexy photos of Dustin Lance Black surfaced from Vogue Paris Pour Hommes, shot by Milk director, Gus Van Sant. He's a handsome, worked-out little blockbuster and now that he's got an Oscar, he's set for life. However, with his hotness also comes a bit of badness...
Several sources today report that both Lance Black and Sean Penn's acceptance speeches for Milk may have been censored to remove any mention of homosexuals from Asian broadcast. The Associated Press reports:
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Gay Asians voiced indignation Wednesday after television broadcasts of the Academy Awards in their region censored the words "gay" and "lesbian" in speeches that called for equal rights for homosexuals...
But viewers who caught recorded telecasts in the evening on STAR, an Asian satellite TV service that says it reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries, noticed that the sound was removed whenever both men mentioned "gay" or "lesbian"...
Jannie Poon, STAR's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman (QC EDITOR: Haha... Poon), stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has "a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration."
It's a real shame especially since this year's Oscars was the most widely broadcasted internationally. It seems that Harvey Milk's legacy still has much to accomplish not only in America, but around the world.
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Reader Comments
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God bless America from UK.
"An incoherent closing remark" He was just comparing how unlikely a black American could be elected as President of your country with Mickey Rourke making such a huge come back... Both equally unexpected and wonerfull.
I remember why I love Sean :)
Awesome!
Penn is the type who further fires up an already sympathetic crowd but persuades nobody new. The stretched-analysis aside, this is the first time that I have heard him speak without feeling repulsed by the man's character.
Doesn't Dustin Black look like the grown up version of little Simon Doonan from BBC's 'Beautiful People'?
Here in the Philippines although it was obviously not live and delayed by 20 minutes or so, it wasn't censored, fortunately.
Yup, I saw it on Star Movies the other night. It was a non-replay telecast; it was a 2-day delayed one. Anyhow, I thought there was nothing wrong with what the 'Milk' people had spoken. I thought they were inspiring.
Greetings!
From Iloilo, The Philippines
"Pro-Gay" and "Pro-Gay Marriage" are not the same thing. Marriage is asking the authorities to interfere with your love life with the sweetener of rights you should have anyway. Why should I have to 'marry' my partner, and us both sign some bit of paper for the authorities before they bestow on me certain rights?
2 people, gay or straight, can commit to each other without having the government get involved. Please keep gay people special and reject this marriage con.
I wonder if Satu Matsuzawa was at the show.
>Please keep gay people special and reject this marriage con.
No.
The problem with your proposal Bruiser is that that would be deemed "special" rights or privileges for the gay population. Gay people, as a whole, aren't any more "special" than straight people. And whether talking about gay or straights, to allow people to come and go in relationships AND allow them to get all kinds of privileges and benefits while doing so would be nightmare for all involved. If you don't want to get married, don't. That goes for everyone. But don't expect to get the privileges of those who choose to get married. That's like not not being a member of a gym and yet expecting to be able to use their facilities at your leisure for free. Not gonna happen.
Hey Bruiser, whether you believe in marriage is besides the point. If straight people can choose to get married or not to, then it is only fair that gay people also have that same feedom and right to get married if that's what they want. Why should the majority (heterosexuals), be allowed to vote away the rights of an oppressed minority (homosexuals).