Pride 2024: A Q+ Celebration!
June 1
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Based on the Young Adult novel of the same name written by Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was adapted for the screen by screenwriter and director Aitch Alberto. Set in El Paso, Texas against the backdrop of the 1980’s, the film centers on two Mexican-American teenagers whose lives become fixed and tangled together.
Ari (Max Pelayo) is a quiet soul who finds peace and solace in his own thoughts. Alienated from his peers and burdened by his family secrets, Ari navigates the complexities of adolescence with a heavy heart. However, his world is irrevocably changed when he meets Dante (Reese Gonzalez) at the local pool. Dante is a vibrant, compassionate young man who offers to teach Ari how to swim. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, Ari and Dante forge a deep friendship rooted in mutual respect and understanding.
Despite their bond and their attraction for each other, Ari grapples with internalized homophobia, while Dante bravely opens himself up and explores his burgeoning sexuality. A love develops between them that binds them to each other, for better or for worse.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe enjoyed a relatively limited cinematic release around the world, which is disappointing, to say the least. The novel already had a massive following, so the birth of this film came with a built-in audience. In our interview with screenwriter and director Aitch Alberto, she discusses the multi-faceted importance that she felt in ensuring this project saw the light of day. From the Latino representation to the touching relationship between the characters, this queer story is an absolute must-watch viewing experience, and a perfect way to kick off Pride celebrations in 2024.
Where to watch? Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is available on a variety of streaming platforms depending on your global location, but it’s available universally to rent or buy on YouTube.
Fellow Travelers
Based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon, Fellow Travelers stars prominent queer actors Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey in an epic tale that depicts a queer romance that spans several decades. The two men fall into each other’s lives after a chance encounter during the peak of McCarthyism in the 1950s changing the trajectory of their lives, and their hearts.
As Hawk (Matt Bomber) and Tim’s (Jonathan Bailey) romance unfolds, the 8-episode-long series captures the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the United States during this period of intense hatred and aggression. Spanning forty years in total, Fellow Travelers immerses viewers in the challenges and triumphs experienced by these characters and the people around them. Beginning during the Vietnam War protests and culminating in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis, this is a story that will leave a long-lasting impression.
This period in American history was marred by rampant homophobia, which subjected LGBTQ+ folks to persecution, internal investigations, and coercive outings, causing them to live in constant fear and secrecy. Fellow Travelers exemplifies this stark and cruel reality, unflinchingly and honestly exploring the harrowing experience of what it meant to be queer in America during this time.
The intimacy created between Tim and Hawk is palpable. Their relationship epitomizes the full gamut of emotions, from the passion they share to the tenderness that exists between them, right down to the unspoken conflicts that bind them. Their relationship is moreish in a way that eight episodes just don’t feel like enough.
Jonathan Bailey’s delivery as Tim is a poignant masterpiece complimented by Matt Bomber’s captivating depiction of Hawkins. Both men delivered career-changing performances that are nothing short of spectacular.
Where to watch? Fellow Travelers is available to watch on Paramount +, YouTube, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
A Dash of Salt and Pepper By Kosoko Jackson
A Dash of Salt and Pepper has been described as a feel-good, small-town kind of story that’s both hilarious and sizzling at the same time. After missing out on a dream career opportunity, Xavier Reynolds is freshly dumped and moving back to his small fishing town in Maine. He goes home to regroup, to get himself together, and work out what comes next, but he has no grand plans to actually stay.
Soon after arriving, Xavier meets Logan. Xavier needs a job (for a while) and Logan needs help. Between the restaurant he owns and his young adolescent daughter, Logan needs additional hands in his kitchen. While first impressions between the two aren’t great, they are each other’s best option in the moment.
Logan is older than Xavier by well over a decade and the obvious tension that bubbles between them from their first meeting serves as a delectable almost-but-not-quite enemies-to-lovers trope that will leave readers hanging on to every word.
As the narrator, Xavier is clearly going through a lot. He reflects on his identity and the experiences he’s had that shaped him into the man he is today. He’s black and gay and grew up in a mostly white town. His parents worked typical jobs, his father didn’t go to college, and, in light of his recent experiences with work and relationships, Xavier is having a bit of a hard time balancing what success means to him.
Both Xavier and Logan are at very different places in their lives, and everyone knows that for a relationship to work, timing is absolutely everything. Despite this, what builds between them does actually work. Their relationship has been described as a little old-fashioned, somewhat traditional, and definitely unconventional, but it seems that this is the drawcard to this story and is the illuminating factor in Xavier and Logan’s charm.
Where to buy? A Dash of Salt and Pepper is available to buy from all reputable booksellers.
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