LGBTQIA+

American Problems-Trans Solutions • On-Demand

In the United States, Black trans people are among the most marginalized of marginalized Americans. But those closest to the nation’s most pressing problems are often able to craft innovative solutions.

Award-winning journalist Imara Jones travels across the country to meet and share the stories of leaders on the frontlines of change: housing advocate Kayla Gore; Breonna McCree, a champion for economic empowerment; and Oluchi Omeoga, who fights for the rights of migrants. Despite the record-breaking number of anti-trans bills passed in 2023, these three Black trans people are addressing critical issues surrounding economic empowerment and human dignity with heart and vision.

Available through 6/23/29.

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution – “Stayin’ Alive” • WXXI-TV

This three-part series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution airs its final episode “Stayin’ Alive,” showcasing how Disco stayed alive despites the strong backlash it received from Middle America, who opposed the genres hedonism, femininity, and queerness.

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution – “Stayin’ Alive” airs Tuesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. on WXX-TV

This must-see final episode of the three-part “Disco Soundtrack of a Lifetime” docuseries documents the wellspring of resentment from white, straight, male-dominated, rock-loving middle Americans, as they targeted disco for its hedonism, femininity, and queerness. A vocal “Disco Sucks” movement began to gain momentum, culminating in the “Disco Demolition Derby” at Comiskey Park Stadium in Chicago, where organizers destroyed thousands of disco records in front of a baying audience of baseball fans. In addition, the hedonism and sexual liberation embodied by disco found itself stopped in its tracks by the AIDS crisis. Pushed out of the mainstream, but not forgotten, the pioneers of disco retreated and regrouped. Cult disco DJ Frankie Knuckles left New York for Chicago, where he remixed disco breaks with R&B to produce a new genre of dance music – house. Discover how he and other disco pioneers kept disco alive in the world of electronic dance music.

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution- “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” • WXXI-TV

This three-part series, Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution, airs its second enticing episode “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” highlighting the empowerment of Black and gay icons during the influential Disco era.

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution – “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” airs Saturday, June 29 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV

Set against the backdrop of Black power and sexual liberation, the second episode of Disco: Sound of a Revolution takes viewers to the high watermark of disco in the mid ’70s. As disco conquers the mainstream, it turns Black women and gay men into superstars and icons. It is a world where the drag queen Sylvester was king, and Black women found a powerful new voice – one that fused Black Power with a call for sexual freedom. It was the birth of the “disco diva” from Gloria Gaynor and Candi Staton to Donna Summer and Thelma Houston. However, mainstream success by The Bee Gees’ soundtrack album “Saturday Night Fever,” The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,”Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” and Studio 54 took disco further and further from its roots of inclusivity and freedom, as straight, white men started to embrace and repackage the sound.

The Committee: On-Demand

The Committee is a documentary film about the little-known Florida Legislative Investigative Committee of the State Legislature from 1956-1965. Florida Senator Charley Johns chaired the committee, and its aim was to root out communist and homosexual teachers and students from state universities. It was successful in either firing or expelling more than 200 suspected gay and lesbian citizens.

How Did Pride Become a Parade? On-Demand

June is Pride Month and filled with the LGBTQIA Community living loud and proud. But how did the New York City Stonewall Riots turn into a month-long celebration? And specifically, how did we get from picketed protests like the Annual Reminder in Philadelphia to massive parades and parties around the world? From the Origins of Everything & PBS Digital Studios

Pride from Stories from the Stage: On-Demand

There are all sorts of things people can be proud of: a decision, an accomplishment, or standing up and being true to who they are. Palestinian Muslim Eman finds the best tool to defy cultural stereotypes; April shares the relief & redemption of living an authentic self; and Jay comes out and receives surprising reactions. Three stories, three interpretations of PRIDE, hosted by Theresa Okokon.

The Whistle: On-Demand

THE WHISTLE tells the fascinating story of a secret code created by and shared among young lesbians in 1970s & 80s Albuquerque, New Mexico as a means of self-identification and finding community. The first-person film documents and reveals both humorous and heartbreaking stories, often told by participants in the same breath.

Available to watch on-demand through 5/1/25.

Brave Spaces: Video Shorts On-Demand

Brave Spaces explores courageous LGBTQ+ stories of triumph in spaces and because of them. Host Devin-Norelle (ze|zim) explores LGBTQ+ stories of triumph, transformation, and celebration in Brave Spaces. From book clubs and sports leagues to places of worship and the great outdoors, Devin-Norelle meets courageous heroes who, in the face of efforts to exclude Queer voices, are standing up to centuries of hate in order to shape a world where love always wins. The series is hosted by Devin-Norelle, a model, trans advocate and writer. See the series playlist above. The series is part of the PBS Voices collection in the PBS Digital Studios. Or on WXXI’s PBS Player site.