Seen at...
For They Know Not What They Do
- Director: Daniel G. Karslake
- Producer: Sheri Heitker; Barbara Simon
CGiii Comment
The oxymoron that is...being LGBT and [institutionally] religious. It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Wake up, smell the goddamn coffee, it's not exactly subtle...your parents brain-washed you!
Sure be LGBT, be religious, be spiritual...but, be yourself, be your own religion. Jeezuz H. Christ, that godforsaken 'book' calls us abominations - no matter how you [re]interpret it, it's a full-blown, in-your-face, badass whipping...that leaves behind more than just welt marks.
The Robertson family know only too well, their evangelical brain-washing killed their son. He did everything a 'good' evangelical son should...voluntary conversion therapy...but, his mind couldn't Their atonement is palpable...but, it ain't gonna bring their son back! Harsh? Indeed it is...but, so many precious lives have be ruined/ended by these evangelical, blasphemous nutcases...deaths that could have been/can be/got to be avoided...with love, understanding and care. Amends, they are making...vitriolic condemnation is what's needed.
That's just one story, there are three others...more about being accepted. This is - on the whole - a positive film...people who are going through something similar may take comfort in that everything might just work out...but, that all depends on how brain-washed their parents are! It does delivers a mighty fine message: If your parents/family/religion cannot accept you for who you are...it's their problem. Not yours.
Those who are accepted are the lucky ones...spare a thought and a tear for Ryan Robertson [who wasn't]...a young, beautiful man. Gone.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
When the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality across the nation in 2013, many assumed that the fight for LGBTQ rights was won. But politicians and religious conservatives launched a state-by-state campaign to retract the human rights of America's LGBTQ citizens under the guise of the religious freedom act. Introducing four American families caught in the crosshairs of scripture, sexuality, and identity, this documentary weaves together clips from the national news and the church pulpit, alongside family photos and intimate testimonies to show the undeniable connection between the personal and the political.
These individual experiences of rejection and validation, tragedy and triumph include Ryan Robertson, who was encouraged by his Christian family to attend conversion therapy; Sarah McBride, the transgender student body president who went on to work at the White House; Vico Báez Febo, whose Catholic parents locked him out of the house when a neighbor outed him; and Elliot Porcher, a young trans man who endured self-harm before his parents’ acceptance enabled him to come to terms with his gender. An emotionally impactful follow-up to the award-winning For The Bible Tells Me So, this powerful examination of the intersection of religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity offers much-needed healing, clarity, and understanding.
—Lucy Mukerjee
Cast & Characters
Gene Robinson
Elliot Porcher
Sarah McBride
Coleen Porcher
Sally McBride
Victor Febo
Rob Robertson
Annette Febo
Harold Porcher
David McBride
Linda Robertson