Writers And Actors Want More From The AMPTP (And Other Headlines)

As we told you over the weekend, the Directors Guild of America on Saturday reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — barely three weeks after contract discussions began.

Writers and actors respond to DGA deal

Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America is now in its fifth week of picketing over its unsettled contract. And the Screen Actors Guild is teetering on the edge of a strike.

Usually, when one Hollywood union settles a tentative contract with the AMPTP, it has some influence on what happens with other unions’ negotiations. But as my colleague John Horn reported, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA said this time is different; they do not plan to follow in the DGA’s footsteps. They want more.

DGA members have yet to ratify the deal that’s been reached but it includes, among other things, significantly higher foreign residuals for streaming series and a clause that confirms “AI is not a person and that generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members.”

Tomorrow SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP will begin conversations ahead of their contract expiration later this month. Read John’s story for more.

There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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• Los Angeles tenant groups reached a settlement with their lawsuit against the state of California on Monday, my colleague David Wagner reported. It allows renters to have another chance to have their applications with the state’s rent relief program reviewed or appealed. 
• There’s a shortage of lifeguards in L.A. County this summer, which means its six year-round aquatic centers, 25 seasonal swimming pools, 14 lakes, and 23 splash pads may have limited capacity. 
• For the second time in two years, the 97-year-old St. John’s United Methodist Church in Watts caught on fire. The Los Angeles fire department is now investigating the fire as arson. 
• A report from the L.A. County medical examiner-coroner said that teacher Keenan Anderson, who was tased by LAPD officers earlier this year, died from an enlarged heart and cocaine use. The report, a lawyer for the man’s family said, does not change their plans to sue the city. 
• CalMatters’ Ben Christopher reported on how a Southern California developer’s plan to construct multiple massive buildings in the city of Santa Monica ruffled residents’ feathers. But that was kind of the point.
• Train service through San Clemente halted once again due to falling debris in South Orange County on Monday. My colleague Jill Replogle has more on what is happening to the coastal buffs.
• Media literacy could soon be a part of the California K-12 school curriculum if a new bill moving through the legislature becomes law.  Under the bill, students would be taught in the classroom how to think critically about the information they see on social media. 
• Recovering from substance abuse can be challenging, but KFF Health News has some tips on how to do it from the Allen House in Santa Fe Springs. 
• We already know it’s very important to wear the right kind of sunscreen if you plan on being outside. NPR has six mistakes to avoid when you are shopping around. 
• Looking for something to do this week? Check out Hollywood Fringe 2023 Opening Night Party tomorrow night at The Bourbon Room. Be in awe of all of the various flower artwork at The Flower Show at the L.A. Louver tomorrow night. Go to the Getty Museum for a special free LA Pride Celebration also Wednesday night. Check out these events and more throughout the week here.

Wait! One more thing...

The history of the word "queer"

Queer Nation at LA Pride in 1991.

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David Prasad

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Creative Commons License via Flickr

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Odd. Strange. Suspicious.

Before any of us were born (I’m talking about CENTURIES ago), the term “queer” was first used to describe something as strange or weird. A few hundred years later it was first first used as a slur against someone’s sexual identity (in Oscar Wilde’s 1895 trial). Folks saw people who identify as LGBTQ+ as inhuman and deviant.

Today, there are people who are still hurt by its use to describe people in the LGBTQ+ community. But “queer” has also been reclaimed by younger generations as a word that pushes against heteronormative politics and the status quo.

So how exactly did the term become so polarizing?

My colleague Caitlin Hernández explained it all in their latest LAist article on the history of the word. It’s all a part of their long-term project Queer LA, which aims to help Angelenos get the inside scoop on all things LGBTQ+ in Los Angeles with a large helping of JOY.

Read Caitlin’s article here to understand how the shift in attitudes around the word “queer” happened.