SXSW Review: State of Pride
Is Pride still relevant to the younger generations of LGBTQ people today? What does Pride mean to them now? Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman aim to answer these questions with their documentary State of Pride, which explores current attitudes towards the annual event through interviews conducted by activist Raymond Braun.
State of Pride opens with a brief history of the fight for LGBTQ rights, beginning with the Stonewall riots. The parades that spawned from that event were acts of resistance, stating boldly that queer people would not be silenced or ignored. Parades started in New York and San Francisco before spreading to states around the country. Members of the LGBTQ community came out of the shadows and took to the streets with well, pride. Now 50 years later, what is the state of Pride now that legal and social strides have been undertaken to support the LGBT community? Is it simply a big party now or are there deeper meanings?
In addition to talking to people from around the country via Skype, Raymond Braun traveled to Pride festivals in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, San Francisco California and Salt Lake City, Utah. The filmmakers interviewed members of the LGBTQ community in each city, providing their own viewpoints on what Pride means to them and what their lives are like as part of the community. These stories run the gamut, from affirming to heart-breaking.
In Tuscaloosa we are introduced to a support group for Black trans women sex workers. The film, thankfully, directly address the alarming rate at which Black trans women are being murdered, giving us first hand accounts of the fear these women feel as well as the alienation from the larger LGBTQ community. That feeling of alienation was referenced several times, lending insight as to why some southern states have a regular Pride and a Black Pride. As of recently, more states have started to adopt a separate trans Pride. In San Francisco there’s a day for lesbian Pride, a day for trans Pride and a day for an all-encompassing event. The documentary shows how these separate Pride celebrations address a necessity within the communities to focus on their individual needs.
So what does Pride mean now? To the people interviewed, it’s a place where they are accepted, where they can freely celebrate who they are. To a trans man and lesbian couple in Tuscaloosa, it’s a place to authentically celebrate with those who love and embrace them. To a trans woman in San Francisco it’s an entry into a community she’s still new to. For a gay man in Salt Lake City it’s a place to bring his family and revel in their support. Through the stories presented we see that Pride is still relevant in the lives of a number of people.
State of Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ community, how far they’ve come and where they still need to go. The people interviewed came from a range of backgrounds and orientations including a surprising amount of Black people, who are often excluded from such narratives. The documentary strives to show that Pride is more than just the parades and parties we see. It hasn’t strayed too far away from those early gatherings following the Stonewall riots. It’s still necessary.
