Sex Positive

Jun 12, 2009

1h 15m

★ 5.3

What if you knew a deadly epidemic was coming and no one would believe you?

Overview

Sex Positive explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M hustler turned AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has never been aptly credited. Mr. Berkowitz emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic demanding a solution to the problem before the outside world would take heed. Now destitute and alone, Mr. Berkowitz tells his story to a world who never wanted to listen.

Genres

Documentary

Sex Positive Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Himself

Richard Berkowitz

Himself (archive footage)

Michael Callen

Himself

Larry Kramer

Herself

Susan Brown

Himself

Sean O. Strub

Herself

Norma Connolly

Himself

Gabriel Rotello

Himself

Edmund White

Himself

Michael Lucas

Set against the backdrop of the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the film chronicles the journey of Lt. Col. Linda Campbell, an Air Force veteran who grappled with hiding her true self during her service tenure. While the national policy shift towards LGBTQ+ rights marks a progressive era, Linda's personal story serves as a powerful testament to the individual battles fought in the shadows of such policies. Subjected to suspicion, prejudice, and threats from her comrades due to her perceived homosexuality, Linda's resilience remain undeterred. Her unwavering love and commitment to her partner, Nancy Lynchild, culminate in a poignant milestone: their eternal rest together in Willamette National Cemetery. Intertwined with this narrative is the account of Linda's brother, Bob Campbell, who delves into their family's conservative roots, Linda's tumultuous coming out, and the eventual familial reconciliation that showcases the transformative power of love and understanding.

5.8

Limited Partnership

Jun 14, 2014

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP is the love story between Filipino-American Richard Adams and Australian Tony Sullivan, who, in 1975, became one of the first same-sex couples in the world to be legally married. After applying for a green card for Tony based on their marriage, the couple received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service stating, 'You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots.' Outraged at this letter, and to prevent Tony's impending deportation, the couple sued the U.S. government, filing the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history. This tenacious story of love, marriage and immigration equality is as precedent setting as it is little known... until now.

4.0

I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole

Jun 9, 2013

I Always Said Yes is a portrait of pioneering filmmaker Wakefield Poole, whose careers as dancer, choreographer, and director spanned the golden years of Broadway, television, porno chic, and gay liberation.

5.4

Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo

Dec 20, 2014

A feature film that chronicles a complete season of the International Gay Rodeo Association. Roping and riding across north America for the past 30 years, the IGRA's courageous cowboys and cowgirls brave challenges both in and out of the arena on their quest to qualify for the World Finals at the end of the season. And along the way, they'll bust every stereotype in the book.

0.0

Sunny Night

Oct 20, 2017

On 25th December 2011 the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II described his 34 year-long leadership as head of the Georgian Orthodox Church as a ‘sunny night’. Beginning in 1989, and going up to the present, the film essay Sunny Night tells of political and social events since Georgian Independence. A variety of formats and sources, disparate images and voices report on protests, recommencements, uproars and wars, and religious identity that centres around the dominant religion of the nation. In the midst of the ongoing shifts and the various state of affairs, the patriarch stands out as the only constant figure. Meanwhile the sermonised religion begins to take on radical forms, going as far as priests forming front row human-chains, leading protests of several thousand orthodox believers chasing a handful of LGBT activist throughout the streets of Tbilisi in May 2013.

0.0

Synonymous With

Apr 12, 2021

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

5.9

Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric

Feb 6, 2017

Katie Couric travels across the U.S. to talk with scientists, psychologists, activists, authors and families about the complex issue of gender.

4.0

Silent Pioneers

Sep 1, 1985

Contrary to the public stereotype of a youthful homosexual community, gay men and women do grow old. Silent Pioneers presents an upbeat focus on the lives of these people today, showing them living full and diverse lives and sharing concerns on ageing, health and housing, with other senior citizens. It also considers how support networks within the gay and lesbian community have enriched and strengthened their individual lives.

4.0

Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts

May 4, 1979

Personal diary-style documentary of German Gay rights activist Von Praunheim's sojourn in the US.

6.9

Chavela

Jun 16, 2017

Inspired by an exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.

0.0

Conte: Transitioning Politics

Nov 1, 2023

An extraordinary tale of resilience unfolds against the backdrop of intense political rivalry and media scrutiny. Joanne Conte, the indomitable child of Italian immigrants, weathers the storm of public vilification as her past is unceremoniously plastered across the front pages of Colorado papers and on The Maury Povich Show. Yet, this assault on her character is not enough to halt the unwavering march of her life of service. She breaks barriers as the first transgender person to be elected to a city council in U.S. history, but her identity extends far beyond this groundbreaking accomplishment. As a valiant soldier, an impassioned activist, and a tenacious politician, Conte carves out a formidable legacy. This is an emotionally charged and evocatively detailed portrait of Joanne Conte, a multifaceted individual who lived her life far beyond the simplistic narratives of headlines.

5.0

Queer Japan

Dec 11, 2020

Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to live unconventional lives in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.

6.0

Terenci: la fabulación infinita

Sep 15, 2023

An account of the life and work of the charismatic Spanish writer Terenci Moix (1942-2003).

3.8

Butch Jamie

Nov 18, 2008

The film follows the story of Jamie, a struggling butch lesbian actress who gets cast as a man in a film. The main plot is a romantic comedy between Jamie's male alter-ego, "Male Jamie," and Jill, a heterosexual woman on set. The film's subplots include Jamie's bisexual roommate Lola and her cat actor Howard, Lola's abrasive butch German girlfriend Andi, and Jamie's gay Asian friend David.

5.5

Dream Boat

Jun 28, 2017

A cruise ship and 3,000 men – it is a universe without heteros and women that usually remains a mystery to the outside world. Once a year the Dream Boat sets sail for a cruise exclusively for gay men where most passengers are united by the wish to live life authentically as themselves in a protected place.

6.4

The Colour of His Hair

Jun 20, 2017

Based on an unrealized film script written in 1964 for The Homosexual Law Reform Society, a British organisation that campaigned for the decriminalization of homosexual relations between men, "The Colour Of His Hair" merges drama and documentary into a meditation on queer life before and after the partial legalization of homosexuality in 1967.

5.3

Warriors of the Discotheque

Aug 17, 2015

The place is the notorious Starck Club (so called because it was the first major project designed by Philippe Starck in the US.) The Starck Club opened in Dallas in 1984 and not long after hosted the 1984 national Republican Convention. Ironically, it was actually legal to buy MDMA aka ecstasy there, people would put it on their credit cards. The DEA stepped in and made it a category 1 drug on July 1, 1985... In a time when ecstasy was legal & guyliner was cool.

6.1

Dressed in Blue

Sep 6, 1983

A documentary about the lives of six transgender women in post-Franco Spain.

4.9

Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land

Jan 13, 2013

When many people think of Israel, it is often in terms of modern war or ancient religion. But there is much more to the Jewish state then missiles and prayers. In his debut as a documentary filmmaker, adult-film entrepreneur and political columnist Michael Lucas examines a side of Israel that is too often overlooked: its thriving gay community. Undressing Israel features interviews with a diverse range of local men, including a gay member of Israel's parliament, a trainer who served openly in the army, a young Arab-Israeli journalist, and a pair of dads raising their kids. Lucas also visits Tel Aviv's vibrant nightlife scene-and a same-sex wedding-in this guided tour to a country that emerged as a pioneer for gay integration and equality.

3.5

Battle of Soho

May 1, 2017

In November 2014 the Iconic club Madame Jojos closed its doors. This event being interpreted by many as the death knell of Soho.The gentrification of Soho affects the LGBT community and its Drag Queen sub-culture, but the cabaret atmosphere of the entire neighborhood in enormous ways. This active pursuit to destroy a bubbling and vibrant part of the city's heart is viewed by many as an atrocity akin to turning the lights off on Broadway. Over 3rd of London's music venues have been closed in recent years and no one noticed. An active movement to bring a halt to this disaster has begun to unfold with one organization after another emerging to fight for Soho. Organizations made up of citizens and celebrities have sprung up to combat this onslaught. Will they win this battle and save Soho?