WeHo Beme A Gay Mec. Here’s The History Behd That (And Other Headl) | LAist

Contents:

• AMERI’S NEXT GREAT GAY MECS
• HOW PTOWN GOT SO GAY, GAY, GAY
• WATCH: ALL THE TEA ON THE HISTORY OF GAY MEC FIRE ISLAND, AS TOLD BY THE QUEER INS WHO’VE LIVED
• WEHO BEME A GAY MEC. HERE’S THE HISTORY BEHD THAT (AND OTHER HEADL)
• DOLLYWOOD: THE “GAY MEC” TENNSEE’S BACKYARD
• QUESTION: IS THE ERA OF THE MORN GAY MEC OVER?
• THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS
• GAY MEC ON FIRE ISLAND SELLS FOR $10.1 MILLN AT AUCTN
• IS PROVCETOWN MOSTLY A GAY MEC? - PROVCETOWN FOM
• GAY MLIM’S SECRET PILGRIMAGE TO MECA LONG WAY HOMEPARVEZ SHARMA TOOK THE LONG TRIP TO MEC WH TWO BIG SECRETS: HE’S RERDG HIS JOURNEY ON HIS PHONE, AND HE HAS A HBAND BACK HOME.NA STROCHLICUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:55AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 25, 2015 5:15AM EDT HARAM FILMS AS THOANDS OF MLIM PILGRIMS SWARMED AROUND HIM, PARVEZ SHARMA FOUND A SECLUD RNER ON THE SEND FLOOR OF THE MOSQUE THE MIDDLE OF MEC, TOOK OUT HIS IPHONE OM HIS WHE ROB AND NNECTED TO THE ONLY AVAILABLE WIFI WORK: THE SDI BLAD GROUP. HE FACETIMED HIS HBAND, DAN, WHO WAS AT HOME NEW YORK AND SURPRISED TO BE HEARG OM SHARMA, WHO HAD EMBARKED ON HIS HAJJ, THE ONCE--A-LIFETIME PILGRIMAGE TO MEC.WAS A SECURE WORK? DAN IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO KNOW. HE WAS RIGHTFULLY WORRIED— SDI ARABIA, BEG GAY IS PUNISHABLE BY ATH. AND ANYONE SPOTTED WH A RERDG VICE ON THE GROUNDS WAS CHASED AND EVEN BEATEN BY RELIG POLICE.“I SPOKE TO MY HBAND ALL THANKS TO THE BLAD GROUP,” SHARMA SAYS NOW, APPRECIATG THE IRONY. AT THE TIME, 2011, JT MONTHS AFTER OSAMA B LAN WAS KILLED, NEHER WERE SURE SHARMA WOULD RETURN OM SDI ARABIA.THE TWO HAD RECENTLY WED A CEREMONY NEW YORK CY, THE MIDST OF CELEBRATNS OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LEGALIZATN AND JT BEFORE SHARMA LEFT FOR WHAT HE LLS HIS “HAJJ OF FIANCE.” A FEW MONTHS LATER, SHARMA TOOK HIS FIGHT FOR EQUALY TO MEC. THIS JOURNEY FOR ACCEPTANCE IS THE SUBJECT OF A SNER MEC, THE LATT SURE-TO-BE-NTROVERSIAL FILM OM SHARMA, A 41-YEAR-OLD FILMMAKER ORIGALLY OM INDIA. ARMED WH AN IPHONE 4S AND TWO SMALL MERAS, SHARMA GO UNRVER, MASKED TWOFOLD: AS A FILMMAKER AND A HOMOSEXUAL MAN. IF HE N PLETE THE HAJJ, HE BELIEV THAT ISLAM HAS APPROVED HIM AS A GAY MLIM.“THE RISK I FEARED THE MOST WAS THAT I WOULD BE FOUND OUT AND THE SDIS WOULD EHER LOCK ME UP OR PUNISH ME BY THEIR ROUTE METHODS OF PUNISHMENT THAT CLU BEHEADG,” SHARMA TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “SO I WAS VERY AAID. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS A RELIG MLIM, I FELT I WOULD BE PROTECTED GOG ON PILGRIMAGE—DIVE TERVENTN, EVEN.”THE TRIP SHARMA DOCUMENTED IS THE MOST SACRED ISLAM, A YEARLY EVENT THAT DRAWS MORE THAN 2 LN MLIMS TO THE ANCIENT CI SDI ARABIA AND IS FORBIDN TO OUTSIRS. THE HAJJ IS A RE-CREATN OF A JOURNEY TAKEN BY ISLAM’S ANCTORS AND NTAS S HOLIT S.BY PLETG THE HAJJ, A PARTICIPANT IS FIVEN FOR THEIR SS. BUT SHARMA WAS NEVER SURE HE’D FISH.SHARMA’S PREV PROJECT, A JIHAD FOR LOVE, WAS A 12-UNTRY VOYAGE PICTG THE HIDN POCKETS OF HOMOSEXUALY WH ISLAM. IT EFFECTIVELY OUTED HIM AS AN FIL WHEN ME OUT 2007. AS A GAY MAN, HIS SEXUALY WAS PUNISHABLE BY ATH THE TIGHTLY ERNED SDI ARABIA. BUT SHARMA SAYS THE FILM TRAVELED ON AN UNRGROUND RAILROAD, OF SORTS, AND WAS EVEN SHOWN CLANSTE SCREENGS THE PAL, RIYADH.“I WAS A MARKED MAN,” HE SAYS THE FILM, DRAMATILLY.GIVEN HIS LIMED FILMG PABILI, THE FILM IS MOSTLY NARRATN AND SHAKY DOCUMENTARY. SOME OF THE SCEN ARE LONG, BUT ’S A RARE LOOK AT ONE OF THE LARGT HUMAN MOBILIZATNS ON THE PLA.SHARMA CHOSE TO MAKE HIS PILGRIMAGE WH OTHER OUTSIRS, EVEN THOUGH HE’S NOT TECHNILLY ONE OF THEM. HE IS A SUNNI MLIM, BUT JOS THE MORY SHIA PILGRIMS, WHO ARE OUTLIERS SDI ARABIA. HE TOLD NO ONE OF HIS FILMMAKG QUT, BUT REVEALED HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN TO ANOTHER PILGRIM, AN AMERIN WHO’D MA THE JOURNEY WH HIS WIFE AND MOTHER--LAW.“WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHG THAT DO NOT WANT TO BE PART OF YOU?” THE MAN ASKED HIM. BUT SHARMA QUICKLY DISVERS HE ISN’T THE ONLY SNER MEC. BY SURREPTLY RERDG NVERSATNS ON HIS IPHONE, HE PTUR A MAN SCRIBG PARTICIPATN AN HONOR KILLG OF HIS BROTHER’S WIFE PAKISTAN. HE’D E TO MEC TO BE CLEANSED OF THE ACT THAT HNTED HIM. THAT MAN, A KILLER, WAS SEEKG FIVENS, JT AS SHARMA WAS. AND WHO OF THEM WAS THE BIGGER SNER, A WORLD WHERE MANY UNTRI LEGALIZE HONOR KILLGS BUT FORBID HOMOSEXUALY?FOR BOTH, THE HAJJ WAS A PROMISE OF REMPTN.“ALL MLIMS ARRIVE MEC ALREADY SNERS. IF YOU PLETE YOUR HAJJ THE MANDATED WAY YOU ARE ABSOLVED OF ALL SS AND YOU GET THIS ONE-WAY TICKET TO HEAVEN. HE ASSUMED HE’D BE GETTG THAT TICKET, BUT WASN’T SURE. I ASSUMED I WOULD GET THAT, BUT WASN’T SURE EHER,” SHARMA SAYS OF THE SYNCHRONICY. “BELIEVE ME: MEETG HIM WAS NOT AN ACCINT.”SHARMA IS VOUT, BUT SKEPTIL OF HOW HIS RELIGN IS BEG ED. “I NEED EVINCE THAT MY FAH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE THIS JOURNEY,” HE SAYS EARLY ON THE FILM. BUT SOON, HE’S WAVERG.“IF ANYTHG MY FAH SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR THIS VERY PLACE,” HE SAYS LATER. HE THEN DOUBTS HIMSELF, WONRG IF HE N BE A GOOD MLIM. BUT THE PROJECT GROWS BEYOND HIS PERSONAL STORY AND TO AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE RELIGN HAS BEEN MANIPULATED.“I’M MORE NCERNED WH ISLAM SELF,” SHARMA SAYS NOW OF THE MSAGE HE WANTED TO NVEY. “I THK THIS IS NOT A FILM ABOUT GAY MLIMS. THIS IS A FILM ABOUT ISLAM AND EVERYTHG THAT AILS THE 21ST CENTURY.”IT’S ALSO A CRIQUE OF THE MODIZATN OF THE HAJJ SDI ARABIA, WHERE SHARMA FILMS PILGRIMS THE NEARBY MALL STARBUCKS, ROBED MEN SIPPG FFEE OUT OF CUPS MISSG THE NOTOR MERMAID LOGO, AND A LL TO ACTN A UNTRY THAT WAS BARELY SHAKEN BY THE ARAB SPRG.SDI ARABIA’S LONGTIME LER KG ABDULLAH DIED THIS YEAR, AND A SLIGHTLY YOUNGER SUCCSOR HAS TAKEN HIS THRONE. BUT REVOLUTN DO NOT APPEAR TO BE ON THE HORIZON. GAYS ARE STILL PERSECUTED AND WOMEN ARE STILL BARRED OM DRIVG. PUBLIC BEHEADGS AREN’T UNMON.“I WOULD HOPE THAT WORK LIKE THIS SHAK A LTLE B THE FOUNDATNS OF THE SDI MONARCHY,” HE SAYS.THE MOVIE WILL PREMIER AT HOT DOCS TORONTO LATE APRIL, AND THEN TRAVEL TO A NUMBER OF FILM FTIVALS WORLDWI. IT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST TUDAY WH A PRS NFERENCE, AND SHARMA HAS ALREADY RECEIVED MORE THAN 100 HATE LETTERS, AT LAST UNT, A FEW OF WHICH HE’S POSTED ON HIS NEW WEBSE.“TO BE HONT, I EXPECTED THIS, BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT SO MANY SO SOON,” HE SAYS. “I TOTALLY PLANTED MY ROLVE. I HAVE TO DO THIS. I HAVE TO DO THIS BEE OF THIS [HATE].”BUT SHARMA DO REGNIZE HIS VULNERABILY AS BEG BOTH FILMMAKER AND SUBJECT: IT’S HIS FACE AND VOICE THAT PRISE THE STORY. AND HE’LL BE NTUG TO PUBLICIZE THE STORY AFTER THE FILM BY TURNG TO A MEMOIR. “I DO FEEL A SENSE OF DREAD AT TIM WH WHAT MIGHT BE G AS REACTN OM EXTREMIST FACTNS OF ISLAM,” HE SAYS.“I DON’T WANT TO CLOUD THE MSAGE AND AME ONLY TERMS OF THE HATE,” SHARMA SAYS. “I’M REALLY WAG FOR POSIVE RPONS OM MLIMS.”BUT THE HAVE STILL YET TO E, APART OM IENDS ON FACEBOOK.STILL, HE NOW KNOWS THAT HIS LAST FILM CIRCULATED WILY SDI ARABIA’S UNRGROUND, AND HE’S CERTA THERE ARE SDIS WAG FOR THE NEXT SPOTLIGHT TO BE SHONE ON HOMOSEXUALY THE MLIM WORLD. THEY’RE THE CLOSET, AND HE IS NOT.FOR HIM THE EXPOSURE WAS TEMPORARY. FOR THEM, ’S A NSTANT PENDULUM BETWEEN LIFE AND ATH. NA STROCHLIC

AMERI’S NEXT GREAT GAY MECS

The untry mic pal is a blue oasis a sea of red and although gay nightlife fixtur Blue Gen and Vib recently lost their leas thanks to skyrocketg rents, the small number of gay bars only tells a partial story. It has all the makgs of a great gay cy to both vis and live cludg a slammg good annual Pri Para, a variety of livable nab rangg om cute overload (Short North) to scrappy ol (Old Town East) and a st of livg that hasn’t kicked folks to the curb the way other gay mecs have.

A speedy two-hour jnt om the cy via rail, this astal town of 16, 000 has been attractg gay settlers as early as the 1950s and for New Yorkers has been gaydar worthy for at least a . While the cy only has two full-time gay bars cludg Geie’s and Paradise at the gay-oriented Emprs Hotel, packs a big queer punch wh a summer crammed full of LGBT-themed events like Jersey Pri Ftival, Dtatn Asbury Park and Asbury Park Bear Weekend.

While many LGBT folks (pecially young on) still flock to San Francis search of a mythil gay paradise, jt as many now flee search of cheaper rents and sgle fay hom which to raise children.

HOW PTOWN GOT SO GAY, GAY, GAY

Hip rtrants, f and weri abound, the Oakland Estuary’s wateront is the middle of a massive revelopment, the Port of Oakland jt elected s first out print (Michael Colbno), up-and-g out rapper Kamaiyah hails om here while the olst gay bar the U. Though the cy may be a gay mec today, for many years a nservative “old guard” led this rort town, sistg the pleasure pursus of “alternative liftyl” (as they were once lled) stay hidn out of sight.

WATCH: ALL THE TEA ON THE HISTORY OF GAY MEC FIRE ISLAND, AS TOLD BY THE QUEER INS WHO’VE LIVED

A longtime rint of both New York and Los Angel, he now ris Palm Sprgs, teachg memoir wrg and givg lectur on gay and lbian history at the LGBT Communy Center of the Dert. Even as gay liberatn entered the mastream, the mayor and cy uncil sisted that gay bars and clubs terg to “those people” be relegated to unrporated areas south of town toward Cathedral Cy. He was known lolly for his generosy, and also for his sexual proclivi — an open secret he went so far to fend that he sued a Brish tabloid that claimed he was gay (and he won!

Ls than half of LGBTQ adults, 49%, were homeowners, pared wh almost two-thirds, 65%, of LGBTQ folks who do buy hom prrize livg fun, safe muni wh lots of other gay rints where they’re ls likely to be harassed. “They n have a level of fort [ the plac] bee other people have charted the waters, ” says fd the gayt towns Ameri, the ® team of data analysts looked at five-year U. The list was limed to towns wh at least 1, 700 hoeholds wh a marg of error unr many big ci like San Francis and New York have long been renowned for their thrivg gay culture, they’re jt so big that the number of same-sex upl ma up a smaller percentage of their total populatns.

Popular extravaganzas clu Bear Week, Womxn of Color Weekend, and the nearly 50-year-old trans celebratn Fantasia will pay arly to live this world-famo gay mec.

WEHO BEME A GAY MEC. HERE’S THE HISTORY BEHD THAT (AND OTHER HEADL)

The five-day ftival each September attracts big-name performers, cludg Lizzo, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga, as well as thoands of LGBTQ-iendly sert town, two hours east of Los Angel, happens to also be a gay oasis the other 359 days a year. Sheridan rints are still close enough to Denver’s gay bars and pri ftival, which has an timated attendance of more than a half-ln only downsi: There isn’t a ton of listgs the smaller town of Sheridan.

While don’t have s own LGBTQ center or annual ftival, the quiet astal town neighbors Rehoboth Beach, DE, which has both—along wh dozens of gay bars and the whole area has bee a top East Coast LGBTQ vatn statn, many folks who want to stay year-round prefer the lmer vibe, natural scenery, and better als hunters n sre this three-bedroom townhome wh a pool and fns center the muny for $394, 900. Known for s lively mic, bar, and rtrant scene, the town is also typilly home to the Garn State’s annual gay pri about 90 mut om New York Cy, Asbury Park is hoppg durg the summer. Bloomgton, INMedian home list price: $379, 050Most folks are probably more likely to associate Indiana wh s nservative former ernor turned vice print, Mike Pence, than s thrivg gay culture.

The cy also received a perfect, 100-pot sre on the Human Rights Commissn’s Municipal Equaly Inx for five straight progrsive small town has a rich theater and mic muny, an annual pri ft, and LGBTQ+ muny center, and is home to the groundbreakg Ksey Instute for Rearch Sex, Genr, and lookg for a gay-iendly, Midwtern muny n sop up a remoled four-bedroom townhome for jt $117, 000.

DOLLYWOOD: THE “GAY MEC” TENNSEE’S BACKYARD

It turns out Brattleboro, about two hours northwt of Boston, is also a low-key gay mec the heart of ski ultraprogrsive cy is home to an LGBTQ center dited to the ral rints of northern New England, an annual LGBTQ film ftival, and equent men’s gathergs, workshops, and bt part may be the cy’s relatively expensive real tate. The progrsive cy has such a large, active LGBTQ muny that hosts two major pri events: Atlanta Pri and Atlanta Black cy’s reputatn as the “Hollywood of the South” has attracted gay people om other nearby, more nservative towns and stat.

QUESTION: IS THE ERA OF THE MORN GAY MEC OVER?

A Case Study of Provcetown, Massachetts and Provcetown: From Pilgrim Landg to Gay Rort by Karen Christel Krahulik, and Ptown: Art, Sex, and Money on the Outer Cape by Peter Manso. A lot more queer spots — hotels, bars and other bs — started to open up WeHo, so much so that entreprenr and gay bar owner Bob Damran created gay guis the mid 1960s.

The gay and lbian realtors at know their ci timately, live the neighborhoods and n bt te you about your sired retirement plans ~ not to mentn they’ll provi a ee relotn k to any cy you’re nsirg.. When a iend rmed me that was also a sort of “gay mec, ” I was trigued and had to learn park is -owned by sger/songwrer/entertaer Dolly Parton and Herschend Fay Entertament.

”Also 2014, the New York Tim piece “Dollywood: A Ltle B Country, A Ltle B Gay” pats a picture of Parton as a rags-to-rich powerhoe whose termatn and ditn to her roots has drawn gay travelers to Dollywood for s.

THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS

1 ln at ctn on Thursday to velopers wh plans to ntue the revival of a former mec for closeted gay sale price was well below the $25 ln the prev owners sought when they placed on the market last fall, and below the $17 ln they paid for 2010.

In a al hammered out over more than six hours, the property was bought by Ian Reisner, who also owns the Out NYC, a hotel on Wt 42nd Street Manhattan that foc on a gay clientele. ”But the have still yet to e, apart om iends on, he now knows that his last film circulated wily Sdi Arabia’s unrground, and he’s certa there are Sdis wag for the next spotlight to be shone on homosexualy the Mlim world.

GAY MEC ON FIRE ISLAND SELLS FOR $10.1 MILLN AT AUCTN

The 34th Annual Arizona Gay Roo happens Phoenix Febary; the World Gay Roo Fals happen October Sttsdale; and then there’s queer untry wtern bars Phoenix cludg Charlie’s, the Cash Nightclub and Lounge, and Lat-flavored nightclub Karamba (which hosts ocsnal wboy nights). A hangout for hippi, homos and honeymooners (check out the abundance of hotel spa su), this pretty Victorian town boasts LGBTQIA-owned bars, eateri, shops and even a gay rort. But surely the fullt exprsn of gay Goln State bliss happens every time the sun beats down hard on Dolor Park San Francis and folks reprentg every letter of the queer alphabet ngregate on the so-lled “F Shelf” for an afternoon of idyll.

So raise a glass to this New England gem at 168 York Street Cafe, a gay bar and rtrant loted the basement of a charmg brick townhoe and right around the rner om Yale Universy.

A Lilliputian gay area boasts queer-iendly rtrants and a uple of lively gay bars, then there’s Poodle Beach (lol), a patch of sand marked by a rabow flag and packed Speedo to Speedo summer.

IS PROVCETOWN MOSTLY A GAY MEC? - PROVCETOWN FOM

Gay Days at Disney, which happens every June Orlando, has grown to be a global gay event attractg tens of thoands of people, but a vis to Disney World l anytime of year. While the epicenter of gay life Geia is Atlanta, whose Midtown is home to the state’s most ncentrated LGBTQIA populatn, the llege town of Athens is where you should spend your next Peach Tree State gaytn.

An opulent mp-osium of events cludg drag shows, mil performanc and danc, the Ball benefs lol AIDS chari, and shows that the quirky cy, which birthed high-profile queer artists like the B-52s and Michael Stipe of REM (Indigo Girls also rerd their first album here), has as much substance as do style for gay travelers. Elsewhere on the islands, there are sttered gay and gay-welg bars and clubs, but the bt place to hang out—and let all hang out—is at clothg optnal Ltle Beach at Makena State Park Mi. There are a uple of gay bars town cludg Balny and Lucky Dog Tavern, but we say head over to Flyg M Coffeehoe, a batn fe (beans are roasted onse at a send lotn nearby Nampa), bakery and gift shop sce 1992.

Giddy gay boys take to the ty dance floor on weekends, an olr crowd plops down durg the week, a rnupia of young queers smash themselv together a swell of sweaty ecstasy every send Friday (at a party lled FKA) and Fire feeds the muny for ee every Sunday. Although LGBTQ nightlife Derby Cy has sce moved to Bardstown Road, while tchg 40 wks at Vu or makg new iends at Vapor, nsir the three s of gay nightlife that happened on this very block.

GAY MLIM’S SECRET PILGRIMAGE TO MECA LONG WAY HOMEPARVEZ SHARMA TOOK THE LONG TRIP TO MEC WH TWO BIG SECRETS: HE’S RERDG HIS JOURNEY ON HIS PHONE, AND HE HAS A HBAND BACK HOME.NA STROCHLICUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 11:55AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 25, 2015 5:15AM EDT HARAM FILMS AS THOANDS OF MLIM PILGRIMS SWARMED AROUND HIM, PARVEZ SHARMA FOUND A SECLUD RNER ON THE SEND FLOOR OF THE MOSQUE THE MIDDLE OF MEC, TOOK OUT HIS IPHONE OM HIS WHE ROB AND NNECTED TO THE ONLY AVAILABLE WIFI WORK: THE SDI BLAD GROUP. HE FACETIMED HIS HBAND, DAN, WHO WAS AT HOME NEW YORK AND SURPRISED TO BE HEARG OM SHARMA, WHO HAD EMBARKED ON HIS HAJJ, THE ONCE--A-LIFETIME PILGRIMAGE TO MEC.WAS A SECURE WORK? DAN IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO KNOW. HE WAS RIGHTFULLY WORRIED— SDI ARABIA, BEG GAY IS PUNISHABLE BY ATH. AND ANYONE SPOTTED WH A RERDG VICE ON THE GROUNDS WAS CHASED AND EVEN BEATEN BY RELIG POLICE.“I SPOKE TO MY HBAND ALL THANKS TO THE BLAD GROUP,” SHARMA SAYS NOW, APPRECIATG THE IRONY. AT THE TIME, 2011, JT MONTHS AFTER OSAMA B LAN WAS KILLED, NEHER WERE SURE SHARMA WOULD RETURN OM SDI ARABIA.THE TWO HAD RECENTLY WED A CEREMONY NEW YORK CY, THE MIDST OF CELEBRATNS OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LEGALIZATN AND JT BEFORE SHARMA LEFT FOR WHAT HE LLS HIS “HAJJ OF FIANCE.” A FEW MONTHS LATER, SHARMA TOOK HIS FIGHT FOR EQUALY TO MEC. THIS JOURNEY FOR ACCEPTANCE IS THE SUBJECT OF A SNER MEC, THE LATT SURE-TO-BE-NTROVERSIAL FILM OM SHARMA, A 41-YEAR-OLD FILMMAKER ORIGALLY OM INDIA. ARMED WH AN IPHONE 4S AND TWO SMALL MERAS, SHARMA GO UNRVER, MASKED TWOFOLD: AS A FILMMAKER AND A HOMOSEXUAL MAN. IF HE N PLETE THE HAJJ, HE BELIEV THAT ISLAM HAS APPROVED HIM AS A GAY MLIM.“THE RISK I FEARED THE MOST WAS THAT I WOULD BE FOUND OUT AND THE SDIS WOULD EHER LOCK ME UP OR PUNISH ME BY THEIR ROUTE METHODS OF PUNISHMENT THAT CLU BEHEADG,” SHARMA TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “SO I WAS VERY AAID. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS A RELIG MLIM, I FELT I WOULD BE PROTECTED GOG ON PILGRIMAGE—DIVE TERVENTN, EVEN.”THE TRIP SHARMA DOCUMENTED IS THE MOST SACRED ISLAM, A YEARLY EVENT THAT DRAWS MORE THAN 2 LN MLIMS TO THE ANCIENT CI SDI ARABIA AND IS FORBIDN TO OUTSIRS. THE HAJJ IS A RE-CREATN OF A JOURNEY TAKEN BY ISLAM’S ANCTORS AND NTAS S HOLIT S.BY PLETG THE HAJJ, A PARTICIPANT IS FIVEN FOR THEIR SS. BUT SHARMA WAS NEVER SURE HE’D FISH.SHARMA’S PREV PROJECT, A JIHAD FOR LOVE, WAS A 12-UNTRY VOYAGE PICTG THE HIDN POCKETS OF HOMOSEXUALY WH ISLAM. IT EFFECTIVELY OUTED HIM AS AN FIL WHEN ME OUT 2007. AS A GAY MAN, HIS SEXUALY WAS PUNISHABLE BY ATH THE TIGHTLY ERNED SDI ARABIA. BUT SHARMA SAYS THE FILM TRAVELED ON AN UNRGROUND RAILROAD, OF SORTS, AND WAS EVEN SHOWN CLANSTE SCREENGS THE PAL, RIYADH.“I WAS A MARKED MAN,” HE SAYS THE FILM, DRAMATILLY.GIVEN HIS LIMED FILMG PABILI, THE FILM IS MOSTLY NARRATN AND SHAKY DOCUMENTARY. SOME OF THE SCEN ARE LONG, BUT ’S A RARE LOOK AT ONE OF THE LARGT HUMAN MOBILIZATNS ON THE PLA.SHARMA CHOSE TO MAKE HIS PILGRIMAGE WH OTHER OUTSIRS, EVEN THOUGH HE’S NOT TECHNILLY ONE OF THEM. HE IS A SUNNI MLIM, BUT JOS THE MORY SHIA PILGRIMS, WHO ARE OUTLIERS SDI ARABIA. HE TOLD NO ONE OF HIS FILMMAKG QUT, BUT REVEALED HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN TO ANOTHER PILGRIM, AN AMERIN WHO’D MA THE JOURNEY WH HIS WIFE AND MOTHER--LAW.“WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHG THAT DO NOT WANT TO BE PART OF YOU?” THE MAN ASKED HIM. BUT SHARMA QUICKLY DISVERS HE ISN’T THE ONLY SNER MEC. BY SURREPTLY RERDG NVERSATNS ON HIS IPHONE, HE PTUR A MAN SCRIBG PARTICIPATN AN HONOR KILLG OF HIS BROTHER’S WIFE PAKISTAN. HE’D E TO MEC TO BE CLEANSED OF THE ACT THAT HNTED HIM. THAT MAN, A KILLER, WAS SEEKG FIVENS, JT AS SHARMA WAS. AND WHO OF THEM WAS THE BIGGER SNER, A WORLD WHERE MANY UNTRI LEGALIZE HONOR KILLGS BUT FORBID HOMOSEXUALY?FOR BOTH, THE HAJJ WAS A PROMISE OF REMPTN.“ALL MLIMS ARRIVE MEC ALREADY SNERS. IF YOU PLETE YOUR HAJJ THE MANDATED WAY YOU ARE ABSOLVED OF ALL SS AND YOU GET THIS ONE-WAY TICKET TO HEAVEN. HE ASSUMED HE’D BE GETTG THAT TICKET, BUT WASN’T SURE. I ASSUMED I WOULD GET THAT, BUT WASN’T SURE EHER,” SHARMA SAYS OF THE SYNCHRONICY. “BELIEVE ME: MEETG HIM WAS NOT AN ACCINT.”SHARMA IS VOUT, BUT SKEPTIL OF HOW HIS RELIGN IS BEG ED. “I NEED EVINCE THAT MY FAH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE THIS JOURNEY,” HE SAYS EARLY ON THE FILM. BUT SOON, HE’S WAVERG.“IF ANYTHG MY FAH SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR THIS VERY PLACE,” HE SAYS LATER. HE THEN DOUBTS HIMSELF, WONRG IF HE N BE A GOOD MLIM. BUT THE PROJECT GROWS BEYOND HIS PERSONAL STORY AND TO AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE RELIGN HAS BEEN MANIPULATED.“I’M MORE NCERNED WH ISLAM SELF,” SHARMA SAYS NOW OF THE MSAGE HE WANTED TO NVEY. “I THK THIS IS NOT A FILM ABOUT GAY MLIMS. THIS IS A FILM ABOUT ISLAM AND EVERYTHG THAT AILS THE 21ST CENTURY.”IT’S ALSO A CRIQUE OF THE MODIZATN OF THE HAJJ SDI ARABIA, WHERE SHARMA FILMS PILGRIMS THE NEARBY MALL STARBUCKS, ROBED MEN SIPPG FFEE OUT OF CUPS MISSG THE NOTOR MERMAID LOGO, AND A LL TO ACTN A UNTRY THAT WAS BARELY SHAKEN BY THE ARAB SPRG.SDI ARABIA’S LONGTIME LER KG ABDULLAH DIED THIS YEAR, AND A SLIGHTLY YOUNGER SUCCSOR HAS TAKEN HIS THRONE. BUT REVOLUTN DO NOT APPEAR TO BE ON THE HORIZON. GAYS ARE STILL PERSECUTED AND WOMEN ARE STILL BARRED OM DRIVG. PUBLIC BEHEADGS AREN’T UNMON.“I WOULD HOPE THAT WORK LIKE THIS SHAK A LTLE B THE FOUNDATNS OF THE SDI MONARCHY,” HE SAYS.THE MOVIE WILL PREMIER AT HOT DOCS TORONTO LATE APRIL, AND THEN TRAVEL TO A NUMBER OF FILM FTIVALS WORLDWI. IT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST TUDAY WH A PRS NFERENCE, AND SHARMA HAS ALREADY RECEIVED MORE THAN 100 HATE LETTERS, AT LAST UNT, A FEW OF WHICH HE’S POSTED ON HIS NEW WEBSE.“TO BE HONT, I EXPECTED THIS, BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT SO MANY SO SOON,” HE SAYS. “I TOTALLY PLANTED MY ROLVE. I HAVE TO DO THIS. I HAVE TO DO THIS BEE OF THIS [HATE].”BUT SHARMA DO REGNIZE HIS VULNERABILY AS BEG BOTH FILMMAKER AND SUBJECT: IT’S HIS FACE AND VOICE THAT PRISE THE STORY. AND HE’LL BE NTUG TO PUBLICIZE THE STORY AFTER THE FILM BY TURNG TO A MEMOIR. “I DO FEEL A SENSE OF DREAD AT TIM WH WHAT MIGHT BE G AS REACTN OM EXTREMIST FACTNS OF ISLAM,” HE SAYS.“I DON’T WANT TO CLOUD THE MSAGE AND AME ONLY TERMS OF THE HATE,” SHARMA SAYS. “I’M REALLY WAG FOR POSIVE RPONS OM MLIMS.”BUT THE HAVE STILL YET TO E, APART OM IENDS ON FACEBOOK.STILL, HE NOW KNOWS THAT HIS LAST FILM CIRCULATED WILY SDI ARABIA’S UNRGROUND, AND HE’S CERTA THERE ARE SDIS WAG FOR THE NEXT SPOTLIGHT TO BE SHONE ON HOMOSEXUALY THE MLIM WORLD. THEY’RE THE CLOSET, AND HE IS NOT.FOR HIM THE EXPOSURE WAS TEMPORARY. FOR THEM, ’S A NSTANT PENDULUM BETWEEN LIFE AND ATH. NA STROCHLIC

There’s Sipps, a gay-iendly bar that ma major headl when out bartenr Kara Coley posted an teractn on social media between herself and the mother of a gay son; Big Mike’s Speakeasy which hosted Sunday drag shows last time we checked; and even a clothg optnal beach on nearby Wt Ship Island.

The scenery—and wboys—of Montana might evoke somethg out of Brokeback Mounta, but the realy of gay life here (you n still be fired for beg gay most unti) is far ls romantic. The cy don’t have a “gayborhood, ” per se, but rather s robt gay muny is well-woven to s taptry, the most worthy part of which for travelers is ftive Flixx Cabaret. Wh weekend performanc featurg both drag queens and drag kgs an eclectic range of edic, dramatic and even burlque-themed shows, Flixx will shatter the stereotype you probably have of gay life Nebraska.