J. D. Disalvatore

{{Infobox person

| name = J. D. Disalvatore

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Julie Disalvatore

| birth_date = {{birth date|1966|03|05}}

| birth_place = Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|08|24|1966|03|05}}

| death_place = Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.

| occupation = Film director

| years_active =

| known_for = Shelter

}}

Julie "J. D." Disalvatore (March 5, 1966 – August 24, 2017) was an American LGBT film and television producer/director and gay rights activist. She was openly lesbian.{{cite web|title=Predator and Prey|work=The Advocate|date=2008-08-12|first=Tricia|last=Romano|url=http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid56882.asp?page=2|accessdate=2008-09-01|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504114140/http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid56882.asp?page=2|archivedate=2009-05-04}}{{cite web|title=Gimme Shelter|work=The Advocate|date=2008-03-11|first=Dennis|last=Hensley|url=http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid52308.asp|accessdate=2008-09-01}}

Career

Disalvatore's credits include the award-winning Shelter (2007), Eating Out 2 (2006), A Marine Story (2010){{cite web|title=A Marine Story Official Web Site and Production Blog|work=A Marine Story|date=2009-01-10|url=http://www.amarinestorymovie.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.frameline.org/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=2082&FID=47|title=Films — A Marine Story|publisher=Frameline Film Festival|accessdate=2010-06-21|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616054117/http://www.frameline.org/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=2082&fid=47|archivedate=2010-06-16}} Gay Propaganda and{{cite web|title=Gay Propaganda Available at Amazon.com|work=Amazon.com|date=2005-09-10|url=https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Film-2-Lesbian-Gay/dp/B00079RC3W}} Elena Undone.{{cite web|title=The Smoking Cocktail Holiday Party|work=The Smoking Cocktail|date=2009-12-14|first=JD|last=Disalvatore|url=http://thesmokingcocktail.blogspot.com/2009/12/thesmokingcocktailcom-holiday-party.html|accessdate=2009-12-23}} In addition to producing LGBT films, she had also written extensively about LGBT film for outlets including Clout, Curve,{{cite web|title=What a Producer Does|work=Curve Magazine |date=2008-09-10|first=JD|last=Disalvatore|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-186398214.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022140058/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-186398214.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-10-22}} GayWired.com, PlanetOut.com{{cite web|author=Paul ColichmanChief Executive Officer|url=http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=634|title=Here Media, Planet Out|publisher=Planetout.com|date=2013-03-22|accessdate=2013-03-26|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050301015210/http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=634|archivedate=2005-03-01}} Gay.com, QTMagazine,{{cite magazine |magazine=QTMagazine |title=Miami Gay And Lesbian Film Festival 2004 |first1=Meredith |last1=Kadlec |first2=JD |last2=Disalvatore |url=http://www.qtmagazine.com/article.cfm?section=21&id=2898 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050507110829/http://www.qtmagazine.com/article.cfm?section=21&id=2898|archivedate=May 7, 2005 |url-status=unfit}} POWER UP{{cite web |title=here! @ Sundance |website=POWER UP |first1=JD |last1=Disalvatore |first2=Meredith |last2=Kadlec |url=http://www.power-up.net/here.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929204437/http://www.power-up.net/here.htm|archivedate=September 29, 2008 |url-status=unfit}} and here! online in addition to her daily blog on Gay and Lesbian entertainment.

Disalvatore was also the Festival Manager at Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the largest film festival in Los Angeles. She had also produced panels on LGBT film for Outfest, Power UP and the Writers Guild of America. She also produced the queer entertainment news show HERE@ for the here! networks.{{cn|date=April 2022}} Disalvatore was on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, where she served a term as Vice President of the Board and was last President of the Board of Directors of the Frontiers Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://frontiersfoundation.org/leadership/jd-disalvatore|title=JD Disalvatore, Board Chair|publisher=Frontiersfoundation.org|accessdate=2013-12-05|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014542/http://frontiersfoundation.org/leadership/jd-disalvatore|archivedate=2013-12-03}} She was a mentor with The Point Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://pointfoundation.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/meet_mentor_pair|title=Meet Mentor Pair Brennan & JD|publisher=Pointfoundation.wordpress.com|date=2013-02-11|accessdate=2013-12-05}}

Death

Disalvatore died of breast cancer at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, at the age of 51.{{cite news |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article169874792.html |title=Director JD Disalvatore, a valiant voice for the LGBT community, dies at 51 |first=Howard |last=Cohen |newspaper=Miami Herald |date=August 28, 2017}}

Awards and honors

Disalvatore won a GLAAD Media Award for Shelter, for best feature film in limited release.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jd-disalvatore-dead-producer-lgbt-films-was-51-1033678 |title=J.D. Disalvatore, Producer of LGBT Films, Dies at 51 |first=Mike |last=Barnes |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 29, 2017 |issn=0018-3660}} In 2009, Disalvatore was honored at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's An Evening With Women with a LACE (Lesbians and bisexual women Active in Community Empowerment) Award for her work in the community,{{cite web|url=http://laglc.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=SU_AF_EWW_Awards|title=16th Annual L.A.C.E. Award Recipients|publisher=Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center|accessdate=2009-12-31|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105145126/http://laglc.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=SU_AF_EWW_Awards |archivedate=2011-01-05}} and was featured in Go Magazine's "100 Women We Love".