So, my parents know about my sexuality; I told them about a year ago. The problem is they're Christian and completely reject that part of me. We haven't really talked about it since I came out to them, but it's still hanging around the air. There's always those quiet, awkward moments after someone says something when everyone knows everything's thinking about me being gay. It hurts me to know that my family doesn't accept me, and they don't even try to learn what it's all about. All they know is the bible says it's wrong, end of story.

By Jeff Walsh

As it starts, "A Jihad For Love" has a familiar feeling for anyone who's ever seen movies about issues of sexuality and spirituality. We learn that the only reference to homosexuality in the Qur'an is about Sodom and Gomorrah. And that, though not part of the Qur'an, several Hadith (sayings attributed directly to Muhammad) directly condemn homosexuality. So, we're in familiar ground here, in a debate that continues about how to rectify sexuality and spirituality.

From the beginning, if you interchanged the words Qur'an and Bible, it would seem to make a lot of the same arguments with which many Americans are familiar. But as the film plays on, the familiarity washes away. People are imprisoned. Their backs bearing the marks of 100 bloody lashes. They leave their home and wait as refugees seeking asylum from a country they love, families they miss, and a religion that is still an important and meaningful part of their lives.

Muslim filmmaker Parvez Sharma isn't out to poke holes in Islam, or quote scripture back and forth with scholars (in fact, every scholar in the movie without fail just says homosexuality is wrong). But he is clearly interested in showing the depth of purpose that many gay Muslims feel, and the disconnect that causes with their culture. Sharma is also showing many sides of Islam, but none resembling the Al Qaeda caricature we usually see.

By dykehalo

When I chose to review Lesbian Sex and Sexuality, I had no clue what it was about other then the obvious -- lesbian sex and sexuality -- but what that really entailed and meant I hadn't the foggiest idea. This two-DVD set is a documentary of six different episodes that address different areas and subjects of lesbian sex and sexuality:

Porn Today: Pushing the Limits which is all about the lesbian porn industry and how it has and is continuing to evolve. In it they talk to a couple of the major porn directors.

For Your Pleasure: Erotic Dancers follows 3 erotic dancers through their daily lives and looks into the lesbian club and bar scene.

The Evolution of Erotica is a history lesson on the printed and video lesbian industry. It goes back to the roots of lesbian porn and was very interesting.