#lesbian documentaries

[positivityforlesbians]

I remember seeing this documentary a few years ago and I might go watch it again because it’s so pwerful. If you don’t know it, it’s about famous country singer/musician Chely Wright, and her path to coming out as a lesbian. This woman lived in the closet up until her mid 30s I think, and she was at the top of her field, nobody knew. Obviously it was extremely difficult for her, she had to lie, to even be in relationships with men because she tried to appear straight to everybody, it didn’t work of course. “Wish Me Away” is one of her songs but also the title of this super interesting documentary, as well as her book (I think), it will show you how closeting is still a thing (this film came out in 2012) and how crushing the entertainment machine can be for gay people.

Being in the closet as a “nobody” is hard enough, it can be harder than for her even, but since her music, public and background is country and conservative USA that was obviously another layer of difficulty that made her feel suffocated. I encourage everyone to watch it, to be more informed on the sadness behind the glamour that can be sold to you, but also to show you that there is hope and light and truth behind that closet door. A brighter future is possible, it gets better. Chely Wright is brave and there are of course many more celebrities as well as ordinary people who are in the situation she was at the time, so her story is powerful and inspirational in that way.

[expressionofthedivine]

gender troubles: the butches (lisa plourde, 2017)

[positivityforlesbians]

https://www.netflix.com/title/80209024?s=i&trkid=13747225

A Secret Love | Netflix Official Site

Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.

Hey everyone ! Just so you know, there is a new Netflix documentary coming out on April 29th about an old lesbian couple who had to live their whole life in secrecy. It’s called “A Secret Love” and here is the trailer, I’m super enthusiastic about it already ! They were young together in the 40s and we’ll get to know all their story, fascinating ! A big thanks to them for sharing this with us and of course I see our gay brother Ryan Murphy is co-producing it ! So remember to put it on your watchlist, that’s the older lesbian couple representation we deserve ! ✨

[diabeticlesbian]

Sally

Dir. Deborah Craig

“Spanning nine decades from the 1930s to the 2010s, Sally tells the inspiring story of gay rights activist and feminist Sally Gearhart. Brilliant, charismatic, provocative and visionary, Sally worked side-by-side with Harvey Milk, was an icon to the first generation of lesbians to live openly and one of second wave feminism’s most radical voices. She was also the first open lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a university in 1973, one of the founders of the first women’s studies program in the country, and a popular science fiction author. During one of the most terrifying, thrilling and revolutionary periods in the history of the struggle for gay rights, Sally was literally center stage. Yet her crucial role in the fight against the anti-gay Briggs Initiative has been virtually erased. Outside lesbian circles, few people know her name. We think it is high time they did. Through contemporary witnesses, archival and found footage, animated sequences from Gearhart’s cult novel The Wanderground, and the octogenarian’s own voice, Sally takes the viewer on a hilarious, complex and surprising journey to discover how a “good southern girl” became an “outrageous” lesbian separatist leader and then ended up living alone in the woods, all but forgotten by history.”

[diabeticlesbian]

Sally

Dir. Deborah Craig

“Spanning nine decades from the 1930s to the 2010s, Sally tells the inspiring story of gay rights activist and feminist Sally Gearhart. Brilliant, charismatic, provocative and visionary, Sally worked side-by-side with Harvey Milk, was an icon to the first generation of lesbians to live openly and one of second wave feminism’s most radical voices. She was also the first open lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a university in 1973, one of the founders of the first women’s studies program in the country, and a popular science fiction author. During one of the most terrifying, thrilling and revolutionary periods in the history of the struggle for gay rights, Sally was literally center stage. Yet her crucial role in the fight against the anti-gay Briggs Initiative has been virtually erased. Outside lesbian circles, few people know her name. We think it is high time they did. Through contemporary witnesses, archival and found footage, animated sequences from Gearhart’s cult novel The Wanderground, and the octogenarian’s own voice, Sally takes the viewer on a hilarious, complex and surprising journey to discover how a “good southern girl” became an “outrageous” lesbian separatist leader and then ended up living alone in the woods, all but forgotten by history.”

Donate here

[diabeticlesbian]

The Unlikely Story of the Lesbians of First Friday “In the 1980’s, a group calling itself First Friday sprung fully formed from the imaginations of a group of Lesbians living in the small city of Roanoke, Virginia. Some of the women were locals and some, like me, moved to the Roanoke Valley for employment. It was the Reagan era and we were Lesbians living in the middle of the Bible Belt. Spurred on by the pure serendipity of finding each other, we set out to create safe space, throw fantastic events and grow a community of lasting friendships, all in the shadow of the Moral Majority just down the road in Lynchburg. The group started out having monthly house parties open to all Lesbians and went on to produce Lesbian comedians, theatre productions and women’s music concerts. Each Autumn we staged a highly successful weekend campout called the Roanoke Valley Womenʼs Retreat. We also hosted the annual Fabulous February Fling, a fancy dress ball. Our events drew women from the mountains, the hollers and surrounding states all eager for the opportunity to leave the isolation of the closet, meet other lesbians and be themselves without fear of reprisal. First Friday lasted through the decade and disbanded almost 30 years ago but the the work and antics of this amazing group of women should be remembered. Before their accomplishments are forgotten, help us raise the funds to finish the documentary, The Unlikely Story of the Lesbians of First Friday.” - Kathryn L Beranich,
Producer Trailer / Donate

[diabeticlesbian]

The Unlikely Story of the Lesbians of First Friday

“In the 1980's, a group calling itself First Friday sprung fully formed from the imaginations of a group of Lesbians living in the small city of Roanoke, Virginia. Some of the women were locals and some, like me, moved to the Roanoke Valley for employment. It was the Reagan era and we were Lesbians living in the middle of the Bible Belt. Spurred on by the pure serendipity of finding each other, we set out to create safe space, throw fantastic events and grow a community of lasting friendships, all in the shadow of the Moral Majority just down the road in Lynchburg. The group started out having monthly house parties open to all Lesbians and went on to produce Lesbian comedians, theatre productions and women's music concerts. Each Autumn we staged a highly successful weekend campout called the Roanoke Valley Womenʼs Retreat. We also hosted the annual Fabulous February Fling, a fancy dress ball. Our events drew women from the mountains, the hollers and surrounding states all eager for the opportunity to leave the isolation of the closet, meet other lesbians and be themselves without fear of reprisal. First Friday lasted through the decade and disbanded almost 30 years ago but the the work and antics of this amazing group of women should be remembered. Before their accomplishments are forgotten, help us raise the funds to finish the documentary, The Unlikely Story of the Lesbians of First Friday.” - Kathryn L Beranich, Producer

Trailer / Donate

[diabeticlesbian]

Click here to support Outitude - Expanding Lesbian Stories organized by Susan Miner

Susan Miner Outitude - Expanding Lesbian Stories Outitude is a Documentary for and about the Irish Lesbian Community. It premiered at GAZE in 2018 and receiv

“Outitude is a Documentary for and about the Irish Lesbian Community.  It premiered at GAZE in 2018 and received the Audience Award.  Since then it has screened to national and international audiences with very positive reactions. It is important that our stories and our successes are not forgotten and lost.  While showing the film obviously helps to share the information, we now want to make it more available through a website.  The design, regular updating, and maintenance of a website with the breadth of information collected, including the timeline of activism and full videos of all of the interviews as well as other resources is a sizeable set of tasks.  For example, there are approximately 100 hours of interviews on vides to be reviewed prior to being uploaded.  As we know, the development and maintenance of a website costs money.  This is your chance to help ensure that we all can use as resources the stories and information that have been collected.”

Watch the trailer here!

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