Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
During the month of June, we come together for a month-long celebration of love, diversity, acceptance and self-pride for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
During the month of June, we come together for a month-long celebration of love, diversity, acceptance and self-pride for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Now Streaming
The Whistle
The fascinating story of a secret code created by and shared among young lesbians in 1970s & 80s Albuquerque as a means of self-identification and finding community. The first-person film documents and reveals both humorous and heartbreaking stories, often told by participants in the same breath.
Prideland
Follow queer actor Dyllón Burnside on a journey to discover how LGBTQ Americans are finding ways to live authentically and with pride in the modern South.
American Masters "Crystal Labeija: The Queen Who Reinvented Ball Culture"
A proud Black trans woman, a drag mother and, a pageant girl, Crystal LaBeija was the cause of an iconic moment in drag history that paved the way for house culture, voguing, Paris is Burning, and the TV series Pose.
True Colors: LGBTQ+ Our Stories, Our Songs
Celebrate Pride Month with music from Indigo Girls, Billy Gilman, Morgxn, Peppermint, Jujubee, Alexis Michelle, Trey Pearson, Breanna Sinclairé, André de Shields and more along with real-life stories of hope hosted by Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider.
American Masters: Ballerina Boys
Discover Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocks), an all-male company that for 45 years has offered audiences their passion for ballet classics mixed with exuberant comedy. With every step they poke fun at their strictly gendered art form.
The End of Roe: A PBS NewsHour Special Report
Join the PBS NewsHour for a special report exploring one of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions in a generation. We’ll discuss the legal activism that led to this moment and what it means that abortion regulation has now shifted to the states. Plus: Learn more about the history of pre-Roe America and what experts say comes next as the nation rewrites abortion law.
Independent Lens: When I'm Her
When I'm Her follows the double life of a dancer who inhabits an alter ego. A luminary figure at American Ballet Theatre in New York, Michael Cusumano had a stellar career ahead of him, but after past trauma prevented him from realizing his artistic and professional potential, he finds refuge and liberation by becoming Russian ballet instructor Madame Olga, the mentor he never had for himself.
Origin of Everything: History of the Word "Gay"
The word “GAY” has a long history in the English language, but why did “GAY” stop meaning “happy” and start referring “same sex relationships?” Watch this week’s episode of Origin of Everything to find out.
POV Shorts: Post-Colonial Queer
Stories about the LGBTQ experience around the world.
Independent Lens: Senior Prom
For so many high-schoolers, prom is a rite of passage in all of its love-filled, well-coiffed, abundantly photographed glory. But for generations of LGBTQ+ youth, prom has been emblematic of an exclusion from a world they could not experience as their authentic selves.
The Committee
The Committee is a documentary film about the little-known Florida Legislative Investigative Committee of the State Legislature from 1956-1965. Florida Senator Charley Johns chaired the committee, and its aim was to root out communist and homosexual teachers and students from state universities. It was successful in either firing or expelling more than 200 suspected gay and lesbian citizens.
Reel South: A Fine Girl
Brandi Jarrow, a 27-year old trans woman of color from New Orleans, takes the personal and professional success she has achieved as a hairstylist, and works to open an inclusive luxury salon. The film is a joyful, optimistic portrait of what's possible when we include and uplift trans people as essential contributors to our community.
Reel South: Outspoken
LGBTQ West Virginians fight to live free from discrimination, calling us to reimagine the power and longevity of a small town queer community. Directed by Emily Harger.
If Cities Could Dance
Every city has its rhythm—every dancer, their street. Step into the shoes of dancers from across the country who dare to imagine what it would look like if their city could dance. Performing on street corners and other unconventional settings, each episode tells an intimate, personal story about the artists and their deep-rooted connections to community.
PBS Indies: The Hummingbirds
In order to save his terminally-ill superhero father, a young son struggling with his gender identity, must find the hero within.
Mama Gloria
Mama Gloria is a feature documentary about Gloria Allen, a 75-year-old Black trailblazing transgender activist who started a charm school for homeless trans youth and is now aging with joy and grace. It is the story of a mother’s love – the love that Gloria’s mother had for her and the love that Gloria has for her chosen children.
POV: Muxes
In the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into males and females.
POV: Scout's Honor
Since 1910, millions of boys have joined the Boy Scouts. But today, if you are openly gay, you can't. Witness how a 12-year-old Boy Scout named Steven Cozza launches a campaign to overturn the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policy. From Petaluma, California to the Supreme Court, the film chronicles a modern interpretation of the scouting ideals of courage and honor.
PBS Short Film Festival: In This Family
Ten years after being outed by his teacher, a gay man revisits raw audio recordings of his Filipino family's reactions.
Prideland: Out, Proud & Southern: Dyllón Burnside’s Story
Did you know that the South is home to more queer people than any other region in the U.S.? Join host Dyllón Burnside as he recounts his own experience coming out in the South and travels to the heart of Alabama to meet Carmarion D. Anderson, a barrier-breaking transgender woman of color and the Alabama State Director of the Human Rights Campaign.
POV: Reluctantly Queer
A young gay man from Ghana struggles to reconcile his love for his mother with his sexuality through a series of letters in this deceptively simple yet powerful piece.
American Masters: Julian Eltinge: Female Impersonator of the Vaudeville Era
In this new digital series, New York's sweetest drag diva Peppermint tells the story of pioneering American drag artists. In the process, she demonstrates how drag is a performance art form that has thrived in this country for generations, entertaining LGBTQ+ and general audiences alike, and providing the former with an important outlet of self-expression.
POV: Another Hayride
As the AIDS epidemic took hold in the early 1980s, self-help guru Louise Hay created a space for healing called the Hayride. Drawing hundreds of gay men confronting a deadly pandemic, Louise promised that self-love would help them overcome AIDS.
NOVA: Can Two Men Make a Baby?
Trystan Reese felt grateful that he was able to become pregnant and give birth. But for parents about to transition, there are steps they can take to preserve their fertility.
What I Hear When You Say: When Did You Become Gay?
Take a closer look at the words used to describe LGBTQA communities through storytelling, analysis, and humor. This episode explores sexuality, gender fluidity, and the language used to describe LGBTQA communities from 3 unique perspectives: an activist (Kristin Russo), a professor (Moya Bailey), and a media personality (Tyler Ford).
American Masters: Gladys Bentley: Gender-Bending Performer and Musician
Gladys Bentley joined New York’s Harlem Renaissance jazz scene at age 16 and became an instant sensation and gender identity pioneer, performing piano and vocals at the most popular gay bars, wearing men’s clothing, and openly flirting with women in the audience.
American Masters: Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: This Is the Way We Rise
Filmmaker Ciara Lacy documents Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, a Kanaka Maoli wahine poet, activist and academic, and her continued work towards justice for Hawaii’s native population.
Subcultured: How Is the Gay Rodeo Different?
Host Josef Lorenzo talks to Cowboy Frank about the origins of the gay rodeo and how it was formed out of necessity. Today the gay rodeo's challenge is bringing young folks into the rodeo. Josef talks to all-star cowboy Greg Begay about the fierce competition at the gay rodeo. Lastly, Jade Fauver shares her experience as a young woman in the rodeo and her aspirations for the gay rodeo's future.
American Masters: Joan Jett Blakk: The drag queen who ran for president
On her 35th birthday, Joan Jett Blakk, the drag persona of actor Terence Smith, ran for president in lipstick, heels and eyeshadow, continuing a long tradition of drag as political activism. Blakk had also run for mayors of Chicago and San Francisco. During these “campaigns,” Blakk advocated for policies that many politicians are still talking about today, including universal healthcare.
Basic Black: The Lives of Transgender Women and Men
We discuss key issues impacting the transgender community and explore ways to reduce violence and discrimination, particularly since transgender people of color are disproportionately the victims.
American Veteran: Keep It Close: What ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Means to This Gay Veteran
Janessa Goldbeck was an out, queer woman when she joined the Marines. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was still in place, forcing her to hide her true self from others. After its official repeal, she was able to bring her authentic self to her service and help educate others about LGBTQ issues. She kept the DADT contract as a reminder that pushing for change goes hand in hand with being a patriot.
FRONTLINE: Growing Up Trans
Just a generation ago, it was adults, not kids, who changed genders. But today, many children are transitioning, too -- with new medical options, and at younger and younger ages. FRONTLINE takes viewers on an intimate and eye-opening journey inside the struggles and choices facing transgender kids and their families.
Origin of Everything: The Origin of Gender
Why do we think there are only two genders? Because there are cultures that believe there are many more than two genders. And what’s the difference between sex and gender?
Origin of Everything: The Homophobic Origins of U.S. Law
Laws are intended to maintain order and promote justice, but what happens when those laws promote and spread discrimination and bigotry? Today Danielle analyzes the homophobic history of US law, tracing its origins in colonialism all the way to present-day court cases like Obergefell v. Hodges. This is the second video in our examination of legal discrimination in the United States.
Origin of Everything: How Did Pride Become a Parade?
June is Pride Month and if not for coronavirus streets around the world would be filled with the LGBTQIA Community living loud and proud. But how did the New York City Stonewall Riots turn into a month-long celebration? And specifically, how did we get from picketed protests like the Annual Reminder in Philadelphia to massive parades and parties around the world?
Origin of Everything: Why Does "Straight" Mean Heterosexual?
When did we start defining sexual orientation and how did that result in "straight" becoming a synonym for "heterosexual"? Today Danielle follows the winding history of the word through medical terms, lavender linguistics, and community slang.
It's Lit! The Fiery History of Banned Books
When we talk about book bannings today, we are usually discussing a specific choice made by individual schools, school districts, and libraries made in response to the moralistic outrage of some group. This is still nothing in comparison to the ways books have been removed, censored, and destroyed in the past. Let's explore how the seemingly innocuous book has survived centuries of the ban hammer.
REEL SOUTH: ¡Fiesta! Quinceañera
Life for a Latinx immigrant family in the New South can be challenging and sometimes terrifying, but thankfully, there’s always a fiesta to take you through the night. Three Latina girls and a seasoned drag artist host their own quinceañera, a complex and colorful rite of passage, showcasing the creative spirit of Latinx communities and their struggles to retain their roots and traditions.
Sound Field: Ballroom: The Sound of NYC’s Underground Vogue Scene
You’re probably familiar with New York’s underground ballroom scene through Madonna’s Vogue or films like Paris is Burning. This subculture has been recognized for creating the inventive dance style voguing, but they’ve also created a music genre that’s all their own.
History with David Rubenstein: Lillian Faderman
An award-winning author and renowned scholar, Lillian Faderman discusses the history of the fight for LGBTQ civil rights beginning in the 1950s, through the fight for marriage equality, and beyond.
Streaming on NMPBS Passport
We'll Meet Again: Coming Out
Join Ann Curry as those whose lives were changed by the early days of the gay rights movement reunite. Tom wants to find the childhood friend who urged him to come out, while Paul seeks a fellow student who inspired him to stand up for his beliefs.
POV: Pier Kids
On the Christopher Street Pier in New York City, homeless queer and trans youth of color forge friendships and chosen families, withstanding tremendous amounts of abuse while working to carve out autonomy and security in their lives. With intimate access to three fearless young persons -- Krystal, Desean and Casper -- Pier Kids highlights the resilience of a community many choose to ignore.
Us on Masterpiece
A family holiday across Europe - what could go wrong? Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves star in an adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel.
American Masters: Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life
The new documentary lifts the curtain on the life, career and inspirations of the complicated and brilliant Emmy- and four-time Tony Award-winning writer Terrance McNally.
Doc World Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America
In their home countries, four LGBTQ+ people were targets of death threats, harassment and discrimination because of who they are, who they love. They are among the many LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers who have fled persecution to resettle in the U.S. But as leadership continues to restrict the flow of refugees, UNSETTLED humanizes a group of people desperate to find a safe place to call home.
America ReFramed: Jack & Yaya
From a young age, Yaya and Jack saw each other as they truly were, a girl and a boy, even though most of the world didn’t see them that way. As they grew older, they supported each other as they both came out as transgender. JACK & YAYA follows these two friends for a year and explores their unique, thirty-year relationship.