Do I Sound Gay?
Directed by David Thorpe, featuring Margaret Cho, Tim Gunn, David Sedaris, George Takei, and more.
Do I sound gay? Or, for David Thorpe, the question is ‘Can i not sound gay?’ – the point of this documentary journey.
With the influx of positive LGBTQI+ characters on TV and film – including Tales of the City, Hollywood, Sex Education, Schitt$ Creek, Call Me by Your Name, and Visible: Out on Television – this 2014 documentary could feel a little bit dated. But some people have those demons inside and that cloud of anxiety following them around, so Do I Sound Gay? still resonates.
I have been aware of being self-conscious about my voice ever since a high school French lesson, with a tape recording of us practicing our French. When the class erupted into absolute hysteria at one particular voice – that sounded a cross between Donald Duck and ‘The Year My Voice Broke’ – I slowly sank into my chair wishing the ground would swallow me up, as I realised the voice was mine.
Yes, one can be very self-conscious of one’s voice.
In this documentary, David Thorpe goes on a personal journey to investigate why he sounds gay, considers whether he wants to sound gay, and confronts ideas of stereotypes. The complexity of identity is unravelled through a speech therapy couch and interviews with family, friends, writers, and celebrities.
In the end, Thorpe decides that he likes standing out, because what is the point of being you without being proud.
Library members can watch Do I Sound Gay? on Beamafilm
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