How Do I Look: Queer Film and Video

This collection of papers and discussions grew out of a conference held in New York City in the fall of 1989; the sponsors/editors are members of a group formed in 1987 to analyze gay and lesbian theory. In particular, the volume offers an enlightening look at aspects of gay and lesbian film and video. Cindy Patton ( Inventing AIDS ) investigates the concept of a “pornographic vernacular” as a way of creating a pedagogy of safe sex. Filmmaker Stuart Marshall questions the use of the pink triangle as a symbol of gay liberation, raising troubling issues of victimization as a political stance. Videomaker Richard Fung and Kobena Mercer ( Black Film/British Cinema ) deal with representations of gay men of color, while Judith Mayne ( The Woman at the Keyhole ) and Teresa de Lauretis ( Alice Doesn’t ) detail the difficulties of portraying lesbian sexuality on screen. The papers range from hardheaded and pragmatic to highly theoretical (de Lauretis in particular), but the discussions that follow each paper promote accessibility, making this a useful initial foray into virtually untouched film territory. Illustrated.