5 Queer Documentaries To Watch This Pride

Connect, learn, and understand the queer history and struggles, through these documentaries.

By Gabe Romero

1) Best of Enemies (2015)

directed by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville

Imagine it: Gore Vidal vs. William F. Buckley. Well, that’s what happened during the 1968 Presidential convention where Vidal, an openly queer writer, and Buckley, a modern republican, debated their opposing political positions on TV! What was the worst that could happen? Vidal and Buckley’s televised debates on presidential candidates would set the literal stage for political commentary for years to come.

Watch online at Amazon Prime

2) The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)

Directed by David France

Marsha P. Johnson is synonymous with the gay liberation movement. Ahead of her time, she paved the way and, in doing so, became a threat. This documentary examines the circumstances around her death and brings attention to the trans struggle to survive. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson furthers this dialogue in a time where black transgender women continue to be disproportionately murdered and go without justice.

Watch online at Netflix.com

3)Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)

directed by Jeffrey Schwarz

Alright, get ready for your new summer crush: introducing Tab Hunter, Hollywood’s first all-American boy next door. Based on Hunter’s autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential documents his life and what it must have been like to be a closeted heartthrob in the 1950s. The limelight, the pressure, and the gossip ultimately lead to the rise and fall of a now-forgotten Hollywood teen idol.

Rent on Amazon.com

4) Paris Is Burning (1990)

directed by Jennie Livingston

In a world where we now get two or three seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race in a year, Paris Is Burning takes you back some four decades to many of the roots and references of the reality drag show. So much of the queer community’s vernacular comes from the influential ball culture and community chronicled in Paris Is Burning. Thirty years on, this documentary continues to lift barriers and shift opinions on what it means to be queer. The film tackles race, class, and AIDS during the mid- 80s and early 90s. Pay your respects, Paris is Burning is a classic. A must-watch. Get on it.

Watch for free on Watch Documentaries.

5) THE CELLULOID CLOSET (1995)

directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

Still super interested in Queer Cinema? Well, then The Celluloid Closet is the perfect place to continue your education. The documentary, inspired by film historian Vito Russo’s book of the same name, charts the queer history of American film dating back to the silent era of moving pictures. The film explores the underbelly of Hollywood and the queer artists and queer stories that have always existed in plain sight. It’s a fun watch, full of commentary and surprising(for the 90s) celebrity interviews.

Rent on Amazon.com

About the author

**Gabe Romero**
*Composer and Filmmaker*

Gabe Romero is a Canadian-Chilean Calgary based filmmaker and composer. His short films which he has both written and directed have premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2016 and the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2018.

He has received critical acclaim from The Huffington Post and CBC Radio One.

Romero has been recognized for both his film and musical abilities as he received a nomination for his second EP “SUBURBAN SOUL TRAIN" at the YYC Music Awards 2016. He has been a composer for several short films such as "A Walk Down to Water" and "All Saints".

Read the full interview with Gabe Romero.

Pride In Business article in partnership with TD.
By Gabe Romero