One of my favorite new projects is a documentary in progress called Do I Sound Gay? The film is an examination of the "gay voice" -- that lilting tone of voice that, to many people, signifies homosexuality.
From director David Thorpe on the film's Kickstarter project page:
In the tradition of funny-but-serious first-person movies like Supersize Me, Roger and Me and Good Hair, you’ll follow me as I encounter a colorful cast of linguists, historians, voice coaches, speech therapists, friends, family, and total strangers on the street, gay and non-gay, who share their wisdom and touching, funny stories about the “gay voice.” You'll also hear intimate confessions and hilarious anecdotes from LGBT icons - Margaret Cho, Tim Gunn, Don Lemon, Dan Savage, David Sedaris and George Takei - as they open up about the "gay voice." Thanks to all the incredible people I met, I was able to embrace my authentic voice.
On the surface we are invited to have fun with the subject matter, but it's clear that the film will delve into the serious ramifications of the (sometimes amusing) external manifestations (real or imagined) of internal differences between humans. See the video interview excerpt from George Takei above for an example of what to expect. I'm impressed with the updates thus far -- lots of mentions of the famous names involved, great hints of the thoughtful discussion to come. According to Thorpe's Kickstarter profile this is his first project as a creator, but he has clearly done his homework.
The Kickstarter goal is an ambitious one ($115,000), and the project is at almost $36,000 with 20 days to go, so if this sounds like a film you want to see, get backing.
