Gay surfer talks about the new surfg doc film, 'Out the Le-Up' - Outsports

Contents:

• GAY SURFERS GET "OUT IN THE LE-UP"
• 10 GREAT ATRALIAN GAY FILMS
• GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS
• GAY SURFER TALKS ABOUT THE NEW SURFG DOC FILM, 'OUT THE LE-UP'
• THE OTHER SHELTER: THE GAY SURF MOVIE

GAY SURFERS GET "OUT IN THE LE-UP"

Cast & crewUser reviews2014Not Rated1h 9mTwo gay surfers embark on a global journey to unver the taboo of homosexualy surfg. They bee part of an emergg muny prepared to step out of the shadows of secrecy and create a more open and acceptg surfg gay surfers embark on a global journey to unver the taboo of homosexualy surfg.

I suppose I never thought about the possibily of "gay surfers" out there; however, 's certaly not surprisg, given that stats say 1 10 fellow human begs are homosexual. As the taboo topic of homosexualy be more and more prevalent profsnal sports the days, "OUT In The Le-Up" tch the wave of "g outs, " and tak a foot-hold a sport that wax an overtly misogynistic veneer of macho dus and biki-clad T&A bab.

10 GREAT ATRALIAN GAY FILMS

Ian Thomson gets wrg and directg cred on this highly enjoyable, thought provokg, and ultimately empathic documentary about beg gay or lbian a male-domated sport.

GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS

Producer, founr of, and gay surfer himself, Thomas Castets posed an Inter enquiry to fd out if there were fellow gay surfers out there the world. To be a sports' profsnal, who so happens to be homosexual, and forced to live a life that is directed by advertisg sponsors and magaz, as well as livg wh the tolerance om your peers, is, whout doubt, a heavy burn that has, sadly, taken s toll.

The fact that the people are all the better for beg out the open is good enough to ph for more gay films that pict the LGBT village a more posive and "normal" light. Castets told me that, unfortunately, was herent the tapg of that scene and uldn't be removed – but, overall, the d is favore character, whout qutn, is young, lanky, ep-voiced, Riley Herman (who chews the gay stereotype), statg that "…(b)eg out has ma surfg a lot more enjoyable. Surfers, cludg many profsnal on, were wrg to Castets to expla how they had felt pelled to keep their sexualy secret, faced homophobia the sport or stggled the surf dtry as a rult of g year Thomas, along wh Atralian former state champn surfer David Wakefield – who chose not to pursue a surfg reer out of a fear of beg “found out” as gay – cid to go on a trip around the world to meet some of them.

Their journey – ptured award-wng documentary Out the Le-up, which premier the UK this week – sheds a light on the experienc of gay surfers around the world as seeks to unrstand why the sport ntu to stggle to be open about the the stori heard are that of former petive surfer Sie Hernanz, whose fellow surfers and roommat moved out after fdg out she was gay. It also touch on the tragic se of Ben Roper, a young gay surfer om one of Sydney’s famo surf gangs, the Bra Boys, who killed himself last year. “I have seen so many talented female surfers e and go bee they didn’t have the support om the surfg dtry due to the fact that they were eher gay, spected of beg gay, not feme enough or they simply did not f the image that brands believe sells product, ” she says.

GAY SURFER TALKS ABOUT THE NEW SURFG DOC FILM, 'OUT THE LE-UP'

“To e out as gay the surfg dtry is to step out of the bounds of what is nsired ‘marketable’, so I suffered the nsequenc of that, ” she actn shot om Out the Le-up. Photograph: PRFor Ian Thomson, who directed the documentary and is himself gay and a surfer, is not jt the profsnal aspect of surfg that n feel very hostile to a gay person.

And you get this msage that if any way I show my te self – my homosexualy – I’m jt gonna get massacred out here. ”The issue of homosexualy and surfg draws a lot of wir problems the sport has wh diversy general – somethg that seems at odds wh the easy-gog, unterculture liftyle many feel reprents.

There is still yet to be an openly gay male pro surfer at the ele level who is currently on tour – spe the fact that more tradnal sports, such as football, gby and boxg, have had succsful athlet e out. And another e is jt that there have never really been any gay surfers out there, so I would jt ll that ignorance and a lack of visibily. ”The aim of the film – which has been shortlisted to be ed as part of the tn programme Atralian high schools – is not simply to challenge homophobia surfg, but also to help refe and mornise the image of homosexualy general.

THE OTHER SHELTER: THE GAY SURF MOVIE

“The media is still picturg gay people as livg the cy, wearg the same cloth, gog to parti …” says Castets, who feels that the perceptn of gay culture – a siar way to surfg – hasn’t evolved much sce the 80s.

“I thought if we were able to make this film, we would be able to change that stereotype and show a new image of what is to be gay 2014. "Out In The Le-Up" is a documentary about homosexualy and surfg that exam why people thk there aren't any gay surfers.

The surf film tells the story of all gay surfers who seek acceptance, happs, and some really good wav, whout any type of discrimatn.

The surf movie tak you on a global journey to meet gay surfers, such as three-time world longboardg champn Cori Schumacher, former US pro surfer Robbs Thompson, former New South Wal state champn David Wakefield and many more. The Adventur of Priscilla, Queen of the Dert (1994)While same-sex marriage was only ma legal Atralia 2017, the untry has a fairly strong rerd on LGBT rights, and Sydney is one of the most gay-iendly ci the world.

Before the 1970s, the sexualy of probable gay characters was not ma explic, for example the effemate sal assistant  Dad and Dave Come to Town (1938). The Set (1970) is the first Atralian film wh homosexualy as a central theme, while gay men appeared sexploatn favour such as Atralia after Dark (1975) and The ABCs of Love and Sex: Atralia Style (1978), which H was for homosexualy.