The Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen film series will feature the The Believers -- a documentary on the world's first transgender gospel choir that shatters assumptions about faith, gender, and religion -- on Tuesday, March 18. The 7:00 p.m. screening in Textor 102 is free and open to the public.
The film portrays the Transcendence Gospel Choir's dilemma: how to reconcile their gender identity with the widespread belief that changing one's gender goes against the word of God. The Believers takes us from the choir's shaky beginnings -- a heartwarmingly chaotic, cacophonous group unable to agree on much of anything, arguing over appropriate wardrobe, and learning to sing with transitioning voices -- through their transformation into the polished, award-winning choir and close-knit family they are today, garnering major performances and winning an Outmusic Award in 2004 for the album Whosoever Believes.
The Believers is a unique story of determination and perseverance and an important look at the intricacy and diversity of spirituality and the LGBT community.
The Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen film series is sponsored by the Ithaca College Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services. This year's series focuses on the ways people transcend, challenge, and redefine gender as we know it.
For more information on the series, visit www.ithaca.edu/lgbt.
