Back by popular demand, this year’s Coming Up Queer free program returns! From skate parks to Georgia rodeos, these short films showcase diverse LGBTQ youth perspectives. In a story of familial love between a butch mother and her feminine son, Pink Boy follows BJ and Jeffrey as they both learn to embrace Jeffrey’s inner princess. When a struggling young Muslim girl feels unsafe at the skate park, a group of girls forms an all-female force field on the half pipe in Crystal Lake. In Swirl, a bout of bullying transforms into a defiant dance of joy when two handsome outcasts find each other in solidarity—and maybe a little romance, too? The short documentary Becoming Johanna follows a 16-year-old transgender Latina struggling with both school and a mother who prays for her to be someone else. Luckily, she finds mentors and a family of choice who enable her to thrive. And in Veracity, popular Olivia is inadvertently outed after developing feelings for the new girl at her high school. Written by a high school senior from Chicago’s South Side, Veracity explores both the stigma of being gay in the Black community and the ultimate power of friendship.

— Alexis Whitham

This program contains strong language, depictions of teen drinking, and a scene in which a character considers self-harm.

Co-presented by:

GSA Network

Our Family Coalition