A Pride Month Message from JBFC Programmer Adrienne Frank

by Adrienne Frank, Series Curator—Pride Over Prejudice: Queer Life Across Generations

Happy Pride Month!

I’m writing to invite you to join us this month at the Jacob Burns Film Center for a film series I’m very excited about called Pride Over Prejudice: Queer Life Across Generations. I curated this series with the goal of highlighting the stories and accomplishments of phenomenal queer pioneers who have paved the way to where we are today, and whose stories may never be heard otherwise.

In Rebel Dykes, we plunge headfirst into 1980s, post-punk London where a group of badass lesbians and trans folks found community and freedom through BDSM nightclubs, sexual positivity, music, art, and chosen family. This doc combines candid interviews with a delightful array of the people who were there when it happened, sprinkled with animation and archival footage that gives us an eye-opening window into a time and place that—until now—has largely been forgotten.

Moroni for President brings us to the American Southwest, where we follow Moroni Benally, a gay, Mormon, progressive, Navajo man who is running to be president of the Navajo Nation. At turns both fascinating and funny, this documentary gives us a front row seat to the political landscape in the Navajo Nation, while also diving deep into the intersections of indigeneity, queerness, and masculinity. Moroni for President will be preceded by a warmhearted short film, The Beauty President, which tells the story of Joan Jett Blakk, a drag queen who ran for president in 1992.

The Whistle is an uplifting story about a group of queer women and trans men in the 1970s and ‘80s, who found community and safety through the use of a secret whistle. The film’s director, StormMiguel Florez, returns to Albuquerque to track down the origins of this whistle that he remembered learning as a queer teenager, and finds beautiful stories of chosen family along the way. This inspiring doc will play with a delightful short film called Were You Gay in High School?, which explores the awkward and hilarious years of adolescent queerness.

And finally, we will be ending the series with Keyboard Fantasies—a soul-stirring, uplifting celebration of music, cross-generational connections, and authenticity. Beverly Glenn-Copeland tells his story of self-releasing a cassette tape called Keyboard Fantasies in the 1980s, featuring a folk-electronica sound far before its time. When his music is rediscovered three decades later, the 70-something musician joins forces with a band of millennials to perform his music. He tells his story of growing up as a Black, trans man, of his love for young people, and his philosophical and empathetic take on life. I truly could have listened to him talk all day, and this heartwarming, validating film is the perfect note on which to end Pride Month.

Please join us this Pride Month to celebrate the stories of these phenomenal people as they break down barriers, live their truths, and find joy, love, and community. Hope to see you there!

Tickets are now on sale for Pride Over Prejudice: Queer Life Across Generations, screening June 14-29, 2022 at the Jacob Burns Film Center.