Our executive director and co-founder Samantha Curley spoke with Courtney Gardner of The Independent about our short film Framing Agnes, which is currently being developed into a feature-length documentary. Check out an excerpt below, and read more after the jump.

“Long before my first Pride Parade, I yearned to see any TV show or movie with an underlying queer theme. However I always kept my finger near the pause button as I watched, so I could make sure others didn’t discover what I was doing and judge me. I consumed queer media in isolation, dreaming that I would one day live in the queer community – a place built on mutual understanding, free from judgement. I never knew if this aspiration was realistic, because prior to college, I was only taught selective American history. None of my classes introduced me to the lives of queer activists, who risked their lives for equality to make monumental strides for LGBTQ+ rights. Since then I have learned that the foundation of LGBTQ+ liberation has historically been driven by the transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) people. This is why Framing Agnes, a short documentary hybrid that premiered at Tribeca in 2019, captured my attention. Framing Agnes was directed by Chase Joynt and portrays the lives of transgender and GNC predecessors Agnes (Zackary Drucker), Georgia (Angelica Ross), Denny (Silas Howard), and Henry (Max Valerio) who were all involved in Dr. Harold Garfinkle’s (Chase Joynt) study on people in transition. As the film illuminates voices from the past, it seamlessly interweaves contemporary journeys of transgender and GNC people. By contextualizing trans existence, the film raises awareness about trans stories to make them relevant so that future generations can benefit from increased visibility and understanding.”

Want to learn more about Framing Agnes? Check out the film’s website, and follow them on Instagram!