“Then wolves will live in peace with lambs. And leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions and young bulls will eat together. And Reverends will profess their love for leather culture.”

The above spin on a few verses from the Book of Isaiah pretty much sums up the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival’s stellar opening festivities. As expected, there was a strong sense of community that only increased throughout the night. Call Me Troy—the moving documentary on gay activist extraordinaire Rev. Troy Perry—received its world premiere before the Austin City Hall party on Friday, reminding us of how far we’ve come in the struggle for gay rights and what it took to get here. As the film illustrates, the wolves weren’t always living in peace with the lambs…

While much of the success of the opening night can be attributed to the folks behind aGLIFF, credit must be given to the presence of the phenomenal personality that is Rev. Perry. He won the entire audience over within seconds of the film’s introduction. Whether he's recounting the ways in which he stood up for equal rights or unabashedly informing audiences that he's a "polar teddy bear" into leather, Rev. Perry is unique, inspiring, and refreshing.

After a long string of applause following the screening, director Scott Bloom and co-producer Larry Diamond joined Rev. Perry for a short Q&A. When asked how he chooses to respond to people who cite the Bible in order to inform him that gays will burn in hell, Rev. Perry yelled at the top of his lungs in his trademark Southern accent, “I don’t believe God is a bar-b-quer!” Really, can anyone say it better?

We rushed to City Hall to witness Mayor Will Wynn address aGLIFF afterparty dwellers, but only managed to catch Rev. Perry’s reaction to his speech (maybe you guys can fill us in). Rev. Perry was not only impressed with the Mayor, he also told us all to be grateful for having such a beautiful City Hall. Indeed, if you have yet to set foot on the grounds, we concur -- the place is highly aesthetically pleasing.

Immediately following the speeches, the DJ got to work and the party was officially on. As for the music, Queer as Folk put it best when it described the “gay thumpa-thumpa” of the clubbing world. We admit, we were a little too excited when we met Rev. Perry to the sounds of an intriguing remix of CeCe Peniston’s “Finally.” That couldn't happen anywhere else. Kudos to aGLIFF for making it possible for all attendees to meet the guest of honor -- he was as captivating and down-to-earth in person as he was on screen.

The beats continued as pretty people mingled, Oilcan Harry’s bartenders served up drinks, and melt-in-your-mouth hors d’oeuvres from ACC’s Culinary Arts Department were passed around. The entire night echoed one of Perry’s sermons in the film in that it was a completely “first class” experience. Amen!

Don’t forget, you have an incredible number of GLBT screenings at your fingertips until Saturday. Also, don’t miss out on your chance to party with aGLIFF, Foodies. Arthouse at the Jones Center, and Austin Museum of Art later this week!

[aGLIFF Official Site]
[aGLIFF on MySpace]

Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF)
Sept. 28th – Oct. 6th