1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,072 - Synced and corrected by chamallow - - www.addic7ed.com - 2 00:00:16,810 --> 00:00:19,510 All right, all right, let's... places to start. 3 00:00:19,630 --> 00:00:21,667 - You know... - Yes? 4 00:00:21,787 --> 00:00:25,008 - Since I'm not Southern... - There are no one-syllable words. 5 00:00:25,036 --> 00:00:28,025 - Okay. - Like "too" would be "to-oo." 6 00:00:28,032 --> 00:00:31,458 Anything that's an "E," pronounce it as if it's an "AI." 7 00:00:31,895 --> 00:00:33,983 - Okay. - Ai. 8 00:00:34,103 --> 00:00:36,410 Ai. Okay. Ai. 9 00:00:36,445 --> 00:00:38,256 This is like Blanche from "The Golden Girls"? 10 00:00:38,277 --> 00:00:39,636 - Yeah. - Oh, indeed. 11 00:00:39,636 --> 00:00:42,348 Oh, a wonderful interpretation of your character. 12 00:00:42,362 --> 00:00:45,143 - Yes. - I think that was excellent. 13 00:00:45,150 --> 00:00:48,355 We're taking it from Mary Bell's entrance. 14 00:00:48,903 --> 00:00:52,933 ♪ 15 00:00:53,328 --> 00:00:55,583 ♪ Did you see them? ♪ 16 00:00:55,703 --> 00:00:58,066 ♪ Oh, did you see them? ♪ 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,860 ♪ They're just walking around, yeah ♪ 18 00:01:05,235 --> 00:01:08,368 ♪ 19 00:01:12,224 --> 00:01:16,095 Right now I am on my own personal gaycation. 20 00:01:16,215 --> 00:01:18,051 Sadly, Ellen couldn't be here with me, 21 00:01:18,058 --> 00:01:19,584 so I'm going alone on this one. 22 00:01:19,626 --> 00:01:22,199 And I'm road-tripping throughout the deep South. 23 00:01:22,248 --> 00:01:26,070 I'm going to Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, 24 00:01:26,091 --> 00:01:28,013 Texas, and Georgia. 25 00:01:29,567 --> 00:01:31,619 I'm driving through the deep South... 26 00:01:31,654 --> 00:01:34,734 The states that originally formed the Confederacy. 27 00:01:34,854 --> 00:01:37,558 Each of these states has its own unique identity, 28 00:01:37,678 --> 00:01:40,950 which contributes powerfully and positively to American culture, 29 00:01:40,964 --> 00:01:43,926 going beyond Southern charm and hospitality. 30 00:01:44,211 --> 00:01:47,172 At the same time, the region is highly conservative 31 00:01:47,207 --> 00:01:49,857 and tightly bound to its traditions of God, 32 00:01:49,906 --> 00:01:51,910 guns, and Southern glory. 33 00:01:52,030 --> 00:01:53,825 These Republican strongholds 34 00:01:53,831 --> 00:01:56,807 have created some of the most anti-LGBTQ legislation 35 00:01:56,828 --> 00:01:58,964 the country has seen. But yet 36 00:01:58,971 --> 00:02:02,155 the South has a higher population of LGBTQ people 37 00:02:02,197 --> 00:02:04,590 than any other region in the nation. 38 00:02:05,062 --> 00:02:07,135 So on this road trip, I want to talk to 39 00:02:07,149 --> 00:02:08,786 as many people as I can 40 00:02:08,828 --> 00:02:11,637 to understand the LGBTQ experience here 41 00:02:11,692 --> 00:02:15,028 and find out what it means to be Southern and queer. 42 00:02:15,369 --> 00:02:17,346 I'm starting my trip in Texas, 43 00:02:17,380 --> 00:02:19,600 the biggest state in the deep South. 44 00:02:19,794 --> 00:02:22,819 And I've come to Austin to meet someone who considers himself 45 00:02:22,853 --> 00:02:24,865 quintessentially Southern. 46 00:02:25,510 --> 00:02:27,251 Hey, Ian. How you doing, sir? 47 00:02:27,271 --> 00:02:28,756 I'm pretty... I'm hot as hell. 48 00:02:28,791 --> 00:02:30,781 - What? Well, welcome to Austin, Texas. - Yeah. 49 00:02:30,802 --> 00:02:34,652 Michael Cargill is pro-gun, pro-God, conservative, 50 00:02:34,679 --> 00:02:36,282 and a proud gay man. 51 00:02:36,402 --> 00:02:38,001 Well, today we're gonna do some shooting. 52 00:02:38,043 --> 00:02:40,165 - Mm-hmm. - We're actually gonna teach you how to shoot. 53 00:02:40,199 --> 00:02:42,996 - These are your friends? - Yeah, a group of friends that I drink with, 54 00:02:43,013 --> 00:02:44,450 have fun with. 55 00:02:44,472 --> 00:02:46,243 We actually get a chance to come out and go shoot. 56 00:02:46,265 --> 00:02:49,151 A lot of them are in the gay community, 57 00:02:49,168 --> 00:02:50,933 so it's all about LGBT rights 58 00:02:50,966 --> 00:02:52,536 and being able to defend ourselves 59 00:02:52,572 --> 00:02:54,617 and being proficient with our firearms. 60 00:02:58,335 --> 00:02:59,533 How you feel? 61 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:00,965 I get a little nervous, to be honest. 62 00:03:01,215 --> 00:03:02,991 I don't know what it is. Well, I mean, I know what it is. 63 00:03:03,002 --> 00:03:05,549 Yeah, it's a gun. Slide that sucker in there. 64 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:07,834 There you go. Now, I want you to take this hand. 65 00:03:07,875 --> 00:03:09,683 I want you to pull it back on the slide and let it go. 66 00:03:09,694 --> 00:03:11,803 Pull back hard. Do one shot. 67 00:03:12,125 --> 00:03:13,491 Just pull it all the way. There you go. 68 00:03:13,611 --> 00:03:15,666 It gets your blood pumping, let me tell you. 69 00:03:15,876 --> 00:03:17,286 - [Thunder crashing] - Oh, boy. 70 00:03:17,291 --> 00:03:19,056 Oh, we better run for it. You guys want to run for it? 71 00:03:19,090 --> 00:03:20,722 - Run for it. - I think we should run for it. 72 00:03:20,727 --> 00:03:22,203 To the vehicles. To the vehicles! 73 00:03:22,236 --> 00:03:23,879 Run for it! Aah! 74 00:03:23,923 --> 00:03:25,693 [Doorbell chimes] 75 00:03:26,309 --> 00:03:28,779 What does it mean to you to be Southern, 76 00:03:28,804 --> 00:03:31,937 - or to be from the South? - Hmm. Wow. 77 00:03:32,341 --> 00:03:33,507 [Sighs] 78 00:03:33,553 --> 00:03:34,712 Well, it's... it's... 79 00:03:34,832 --> 00:03:37,012 Texas. You know, there's nothing like Texas... 80 00:03:37,043 --> 00:03:38,135 the Lone Star State. 81 00:03:38,157 --> 00:03:39,347 - Right. - You know, where 82 00:03:39,365 --> 00:03:41,859 we can carry a gun inside the Texas State Capitol. 83 00:03:41,921 --> 00:03:44,466 We can testify before a state representative 84 00:03:44,470 --> 00:03:47,413 about something that we're passionate about at the Texas House. 85 00:03:47,670 --> 00:03:49,761 That is about being a Texan. 86 00:03:49,788 --> 00:03:51,224 That's about being from the South. 87 00:03:51,231 --> 00:03:53,474 You've had a full experience of being gay in the South, 88 00:03:53,491 --> 00:03:54,710 and what... what's that been like? 89 00:03:54,712 --> 00:03:57,051 We're in Austin. We can do whatever we want to do here. 90 00:03:57,122 --> 00:03:58,516 Most of the people here are liberal. 91 00:03:58,530 --> 00:04:00,465 I'm conservative. You know, it's hard for me. 92 00:04:00,585 --> 00:04:04,452 It's very hard 'cause I am that gay black Republican. 93 00:04:04,572 --> 00:04:06,814 And so where did your conservative values come from? 94 00:04:06,823 --> 00:04:09,593 - Was that from your upbringing? - That comes from just being 95 00:04:09,595 --> 00:04:11,493 - in the situation that I've been in... - Mm-hmm. 96 00:04:11,510 --> 00:04:12,981 and living the life that I've lived. 97 00:04:13,101 --> 00:04:15,927 I've served in the military, owning my own company. 98 00:04:15,961 --> 00:04:17,332 I like the conservative values. 99 00:04:17,343 --> 00:04:19,579 There are a lot of things about the conservatives I do not like. 100 00:04:19,646 --> 00:04:20,838 - Mm-hmm. - But there are a lot more things 101 00:04:20,850 --> 00:04:22,137 that I like than I dislike. 102 00:04:22,159 --> 00:04:25,223 How do you feel, then, about laws against LGBT people... 103 00:04:25,273 --> 00:04:27,148 Discrimination laws, religious liberty laws 104 00:04:27,176 --> 00:04:29,090 that are happening in our country, which are 105 00:04:29,124 --> 00:04:33,291 being pushed upon states and cities 106 00:04:33,330 --> 00:04:36,700 - by Republicans, mainly? - I totally disagree 100%. 107 00:04:36,733 --> 00:04:38,181 - Right. - I'm not gonna allow you 108 00:04:38,181 --> 00:04:40,212 to come into my bedroom. Stay out of my bedroom, 109 00:04:40,332 --> 00:04:43,280 you know, and that's just the bottom line. 110 00:04:43,314 --> 00:04:45,278 You're... You're in a loving relationship. 111 00:04:45,289 --> 00:04:46,409 - Mm-hmm. - I met your partner. 112 00:04:46,413 --> 00:04:47,919 And you're very cute together. 113 00:04:47,936 --> 00:04:49,390 - [Laughs] - Cute couple, okay. 114 00:04:49,416 --> 00:04:50,993 Not gonna deny. But, 115 00:04:51,017 --> 00:04:53,230 you know, what if you wanted to get married and then 116 00:04:53,252 --> 00:04:54,595 you vote Republican 117 00:04:54,621 --> 00:04:57,303 and then that right is stripped away from you? 118 00:04:57,358 --> 00:04:58,627 What do you say to that? 119 00:04:58,645 --> 00:05:00,593 Because a gun's not gonna help you in that scenario. 120 00:05:00,633 --> 00:05:01,842 And then I have to be fair... 121 00:05:01,845 --> 00:05:03,452 Because he's actually a liberal. 122 00:05:03,496 --> 00:05:04,811 - Right. - So he's actually a Democrat. 123 00:05:04,833 --> 00:05:06,768 - Wow. - So we actually... We argue about this at home. 124 00:05:06,772 --> 00:05:08,095 I'm sure there are a lot of arguments. 125 00:05:08,117 --> 00:05:10,120 - I'm feeling that argument tension, yeah. - Oh, yeah. So, yeah... 126 00:05:10,133 --> 00:05:11,948 So we do argue at home. So we... It's... 127 00:05:11,953 --> 00:05:13,353 - It's a healthy... - Okay, and what do you argue about? 128 00:05:13,378 --> 00:05:15,087 - Oh, it's a... - About that, mainly? 129 00:05:15,127 --> 00:05:16,383 Yes, "Who are you gonna vote for?" 130 00:05:16,409 --> 00:05:18,807 You know, "No, we shouldn't do this," or, "We should do that." 131 00:05:18,816 --> 00:05:21,426 So we can agree to disagree on a lot of things 132 00:05:21,457 --> 00:05:23,778 without being disagreeable, and we can make sure 133 00:05:23,787 --> 00:05:25,341 that this country does the right thing 134 00:05:25,390 --> 00:05:27,445 by making sure that our elected officials 135 00:05:27,476 --> 00:05:28,847 do the things they need to do. 136 00:05:28,865 --> 00:05:31,484 And they don't go far to the right or too far to the left. 137 00:05:31,537 --> 00:05:32,550 - Right. - That is up to you. 138 00:05:32,557 --> 00:05:33,615 That is up to me 139 00:05:33,668 --> 00:05:35,204 to make sure that we do do that. 140 00:05:35,649 --> 00:05:36,901 But in the deep South, 141 00:05:36,923 --> 00:05:39,413 are things straying a little too far to the right? 142 00:05:40,087 --> 00:05:43,434 The Republican Party has strong influence in the region 143 00:05:43,652 --> 00:05:46,870 and continues to propose anti-LGBTQ bills... 144 00:05:47,319 --> 00:05:49,792 CROWD: Hey, hey! HB2 has got to go! 145 00:05:49,841 --> 00:05:51,202 DANIEL: Including the controversial 146 00:05:51,206 --> 00:05:52,627 transgender bathroom bills, 147 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,514 which have stirred national debate, 148 00:05:54,541 --> 00:05:56,640 as seen in this ad campaigning against 149 00:05:56,658 --> 00:05:58,522 the Prop 1 bathroom ordinance. 150 00:05:58,553 --> 00:06:01,203 And now Texas is one of 13 states 151 00:06:01,234 --> 00:06:03,130 suing the Obama administration 152 00:06:03,147 --> 00:06:05,416 over transgender rights in schools. 153 00:06:05,642 --> 00:06:08,163 WOMAN: Vote "no" on the Proposition 1 bathroom ordinance. 154 00:06:08,350 --> 00:06:09,859 It goes too far. 155 00:06:10,418 --> 00:06:13,046 DANIEL: Though I'm in Austin, a liberal outpost, 156 00:06:13,166 --> 00:06:14,999 I want to know why the Southern states 157 00:06:15,013 --> 00:06:16,704 are so politically conservative, 158 00:06:17,112 --> 00:06:19,079 so I'm meeting with Wendy Davis, 159 00:06:19,115 --> 00:06:21,825 a former Democratic state senator, to learn more. 160 00:06:21,865 --> 00:06:24,932 She's invited me over for a cookout, obviously. 161 00:06:24,985 --> 00:06:27,058 And this is where we have our fire going. 162 00:06:27,133 --> 00:06:28,594 - All right. - All right? 163 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:30,210 Grilling is a Texas thing. 164 00:06:30,232 --> 00:06:32,016 - Yeah? - Smoking is a Texas thing. 165 00:06:32,136 --> 00:06:35,505 In 2013, Wendy Davis made national headlines 166 00:06:35,695 --> 00:06:38,075 when she endured an 11-hour filibuster 167 00:06:38,093 --> 00:06:40,587 and protest of an anti-abortion bill 168 00:06:40,707 --> 00:06:43,664 which would have closed healthcare facilities in Texas. 169 00:06:43,899 --> 00:06:46,909 This legislation would have not only denied many women 170 00:06:46,929 --> 00:06:49,942 access to healthcare, but also LGBTQ people 171 00:06:49,959 --> 00:06:51,727 who relied on these clinics. 172 00:06:52,273 --> 00:06:54,754 She also co-authored some of the state's first 173 00:06:54,785 --> 00:06:56,951 LGBTQ non-discrimination bills, 174 00:06:56,991 --> 00:07:00,645 solidifying her reputation as an ally to the community. 175 00:07:00,765 --> 00:07:05,209 I wanted to talk about Texas and why so many 176 00:07:05,728 --> 00:07:08,405 conservative politicians come from Texas, 177 00:07:08,449 --> 00:07:10,411 and why they have so much influence. 178 00:07:10,429 --> 00:07:12,711 Ultra-conservative voices in Texas 179 00:07:12,729 --> 00:07:14,975 are rewarded by voters who show up... 180 00:07:14,988 --> 00:07:16,302 - Mm. - ... and vote for them. 181 00:07:16,307 --> 00:07:19,126 The people who are leading the state right now 182 00:07:19,148 --> 00:07:20,724 come to understand 183 00:07:21,031 --> 00:07:23,290 that advancing 184 00:07:23,934 --> 00:07:27,153 hateful rhetoric, discriminatory laws... 185 00:07:27,175 --> 00:07:29,678 - ... it's what keeps them in office. - Mm-hmm. 186 00:07:29,798 --> 00:07:34,110 Disrespecting the Supreme Court's marriage equality opinion 187 00:07:34,124 --> 00:07:36,858 and the discriminatory perspective about 188 00:07:37,204 --> 00:07:39,490 transgender people, 189 00:07:39,566 --> 00:07:41,790 a lot of the politicians here feel like 190 00:07:41,791 --> 00:07:44,432 they can't be loud enough on those issues. 191 00:07:44,653 --> 00:07:48,032 So, how do you see what's happening to women's rights 192 00:07:48,050 --> 00:07:50,074 affecting the LGBTQ community? 193 00:07:50,105 --> 00:07:52,489 In 2015, 194 00:07:52,711 --> 00:07:55,557 the Texas legislature, in its infinite wisdom, 195 00:07:55,619 --> 00:08:00,094 pulled all HIV screen funding from Planned Parenthood. 196 00:08:00,174 --> 00:08:03,202 - Mm. - Planned Parenthood was the largest 197 00:08:03,206 --> 00:08:05,666 provider of HIV screens in the state. 198 00:08:05,968 --> 00:08:07,362 So with it 199 00:08:07,588 --> 00:08:11,340 follows the possibility of a healthcare crisis 200 00:08:11,384 --> 00:08:13,506 with an increase in HIV 201 00:08:13,626 --> 00:08:15,677 purely to gain political points. 202 00:08:15,686 --> 00:08:17,240 So think about that for a moment. 203 00:08:17,253 --> 00:08:19,224 We're talking about politicians 204 00:08:19,344 --> 00:08:21,058 who are making decisions 205 00:08:21,178 --> 00:08:24,436 that they know are going to put people's health in jeopardy, 206 00:08:24,507 --> 00:08:26,540 - and they do it anyway. - Mm. 207 00:08:26,566 --> 00:08:28,803 Wendy leaves a legacy of Texas state's 208 00:08:28,821 --> 00:08:31,413 first anti-LGBTQ bullying bill 209 00:08:31,587 --> 00:08:34,996 and continues her advocacy by empowering younger generations. 210 00:08:35,009 --> 00:08:36,421 - Hi. I'm Ian. - Hey. 211 00:08:36,448 --> 00:08:37,818 - How's it going? - Nice to meet you. 212 00:08:37,820 --> 00:08:39,431 Let's high five. I like the high five. 213 00:08:39,462 --> 00:08:41,358 High five. So I'm meeting with some teens 214 00:08:41,374 --> 00:08:43,412 from Out Youth, a local organization 215 00:08:43,425 --> 00:08:45,707 that provides a safe space for young people 216 00:08:45,738 --> 00:08:49,072 to get their thoughts on being LGBTQ in the South. 217 00:08:49,116 --> 00:08:51,571 [Laughs] 218 00:08:52,464 --> 00:08:54,537 As young Americans in the South, 219 00:08:54,555 --> 00:08:58,168 I'm wondering what you think are the biggest issues of your time. 220 00:08:58,332 --> 00:08:59,837 A lot of people... 221 00:09:00,348 --> 00:09:04,428 You know, they feel like they're inferior some way, somehow. 222 00:09:04,548 --> 00:09:06,456 Everyone deserves a safe space to learn 223 00:09:06,469 --> 00:09:07,886 and a safe space to walk the halls. 224 00:09:07,917 --> 00:09:09,688 I mean, are you worried about when you use the restroom? 225 00:09:09,702 --> 00:09:12,045 - Is that a daily concern for you? - Yeah. Every day. 226 00:09:12,418 --> 00:09:14,887 It triggers anxiety, and it's just like, "Oh, my gosh." 227 00:09:15,007 --> 00:09:16,969 So I'm always like, "Got to go to the bathroom 228 00:09:16,969 --> 00:09:17,977 before I leave the house, 229 00:09:17,999 --> 00:09:19,179 especially if we're going somewhere 230 00:09:19,184 --> 00:09:20,596 - for, like, more than an hour." - Yeah, same. 231 00:09:20,836 --> 00:09:23,890 And then when I do use, like, the bathroom, 232 00:09:23,904 --> 00:09:26,389 it's like I go inside the women's bathroom, 233 00:09:26,412 --> 00:09:29,377 and I'm just like, "I don't ... Like, this feels so wrong." 234 00:09:29,426 --> 00:09:32,360 How do you both feel about gender and sexuality 235 00:09:32,404 --> 00:09:34,149 and putting labels on things? 236 00:09:34,499 --> 00:09:39,183 I mean, I'm pretty simple female-to-male and pansexual. 237 00:09:39,209 --> 00:09:41,331 - Mm-hmm. - So I'm more so 238 00:09:41,349 --> 00:09:43,946 just attracted to people by their personality. 239 00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:45,753 I'm pretty simple, as well. 240 00:09:45,780 --> 00:09:47,907 Female-to-male trans guy, 241 00:09:47,964 --> 00:09:50,065 and pansexual, as well. 242 00:09:50,114 --> 00:09:52,035 And is that... Is that a part of the conversation 243 00:09:52,048 --> 00:09:53,313 between your group of friends? 244 00:09:53,482 --> 00:09:55,271 I mean, usually, it's, like, 245 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:57,490 upon first meeting somebody, you would be like, 246 00:09:58,099 --> 00:10:00,176 "Hey, what are your name and pronouns?" 247 00:10:00,296 --> 00:10:02,977 I'm really bad at, like, other gender-neutral pronouns. 248 00:10:03,097 --> 00:10:05,094 So I, like, try my best 249 00:10:05,214 --> 00:10:07,784 "zes" and "zir" pronouns, but, yeah. 250 00:10:07,810 --> 00:10:08,960 Yeah, I've never heard of that one. 251 00:10:08,992 --> 00:10:10,780 Younger kids are using "ze"? 252 00:10:10,794 --> 00:10:12,027 - Yeah. - Yeah. 253 00:10:12,071 --> 00:10:14,177 Well, basically, instead of saying something like, 254 00:10:14,202 --> 00:10:16,711 "He's over there," you'd be like, "Ze's over there." 255 00:10:16,875 --> 00:10:18,957 I feel like you have a lot of faith in your 256 00:10:19,148 --> 00:10:22,416 fellow young folks. Do you have hope in our politics? 257 00:10:22,664 --> 00:10:25,150 Honestly, it's kind of hard to tell. 258 00:10:27,178 --> 00:10:29,292 It more so depends on 259 00:10:29,594 --> 00:10:31,521 how much of an uproar, 260 00:10:32,932 --> 00:10:34,734 like, we as a society make... 261 00:10:34,765 --> 00:10:36,585 - Mm-hmm. - ... and if they choose to listen. 262 00:10:36,705 --> 00:10:38,402 I've only just started my trip, 263 00:10:38,459 --> 00:10:41,123 and Texas is already expanding my perspective 264 00:10:41,243 --> 00:10:45,145 of not only what it means to be Southern but also queer. 265 00:10:45,265 --> 00:10:47,666 Next stop... Louisiana. 266 00:10:50,709 --> 00:10:51,898 I'm Ian Daniel. 267 00:10:51,925 --> 00:10:54,105 I'm in the swamps of Louisiana right now. 268 00:10:54,105 --> 00:10:56,076 And this is "Gaycation: Deep South." 269 00:10:56,715 --> 00:10:58,943 Hey, you guys. I'm in the Bayou. 270 00:10:59,006 --> 00:11:02,139 I've left Texas, and I'm making my way through Louisiana 271 00:11:02,188 --> 00:11:06,330 to find out what it's like to be LGBTQ in this part of the South. 272 00:11:06,450 --> 00:11:09,246 For my first night out, I'm headed straight to New Orleans, 273 00:11:09,268 --> 00:11:13,130 a Mecca for gay tourists and the home of Sissy Bounce. 274 00:11:13,419 --> 00:11:14,951 ♪♪ 275 00:11:14,973 --> 00:11:17,739 Sissy Bounce is a local subgenre of rap 276 00:11:17,788 --> 00:11:20,875 that's flourished in the post-Katrina queer community. 277 00:11:23,254 --> 00:11:24,128 Hey. 278 00:11:24,208 --> 00:11:25,748 I'm meeting up with Ro, 279 00:11:25,788 --> 00:11:29,073 a legendary bounce dancer who's taking me to the Vibe. 280 00:11:29,126 --> 00:11:30,849 We're going to go have fun. 281 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,419 You're gonna see the style of dance 282 00:11:33,934 --> 00:11:36,975 that I like to actually release my feelings in. 283 00:11:37,676 --> 00:11:40,251 Yeah. You put your feelings into it. 284 00:11:40,296 --> 00:11:42,978 Yeah. The reason I do it is because 285 00:11:43,098 --> 00:11:45,824 I'm not a person that expresses myself a lot. 286 00:11:45,859 --> 00:11:47,817 And by me holding my things in, 287 00:11:47,830 --> 00:11:50,568 dance was always the reliever from it, so... 288 00:11:50,609 --> 00:11:52,833 Do you identify as a gay man, or what... how do you... 289 00:11:52,857 --> 00:11:54,591 - How do you identify? - I'm not going to say 290 00:11:54,626 --> 00:11:57,791 I identify as a gay man or as a queer or none of that. 291 00:11:57,805 --> 00:11:59,065 I identify as me. 292 00:11:59,109 --> 00:12:00,801 Whatever comes my way, whatever floats my boat, 293 00:12:00,805 --> 00:12:02,146 if I want to take it, I'll take it. 294 00:12:02,172 --> 00:12:03,668 That's just me being me. 295 00:12:04,356 --> 00:12:05,510 Love it. 296 00:12:05,630 --> 00:12:07,516 Let's go inside. 297 00:12:13,350 --> 00:12:15,942 ♪ Hands on the wall, hands on the wall ♪ 298 00:12:16,062 --> 00:12:17,803 ♪ Here you go, hands on your ankle ♪ 299 00:12:17,812 --> 00:12:19,029 ♪ Hands on your ankle, here you go ♪ 300 00:12:19,059 --> 00:12:21,565 The Vibe is one of the first and possibly last 301 00:12:21,603 --> 00:12:23,854 remaining Sissy Bounce clubs in the city, 302 00:12:23,862 --> 00:12:25,678 and a place where young queer people 303 00:12:25,696 --> 00:12:28,763 can make a name for themselves as dancers on the scene. 304 00:12:29,092 --> 00:12:30,704 ♪ Turn it up ♪ 305 00:12:30,903 --> 00:12:33,181 ♪ That was hot ♪ 306 00:12:33,301 --> 00:12:35,188 - So, you own the place. - Yeah. 307 00:12:35,233 --> 00:12:37,013 And what is this place, exactly? 308 00:12:37,066 --> 00:12:39,686 It's the Vibe. It's the bounce night, gay night. 309 00:12:39,708 --> 00:12:41,741 From your point of view, what is bounce? 310 00:12:42,140 --> 00:12:46,468 Well, it's a lot of them expressing themselves 311 00:12:46,499 --> 00:12:49,527 on the mirror, on the... on the floor... 312 00:12:49,545 --> 00:12:52,595 Anywhere they can catch it. They just catch that beat. 313 00:12:52,627 --> 00:12:54,087 Right. It's a beat that 314 00:12:54,420 --> 00:12:56,369 - makes them go crazy. - Makes them move. 315 00:12:56,382 --> 00:12:58,074 And you would say that your club's really important to 316 00:12:58,105 --> 00:13:00,791 - the LGBT community around here? - Yes, yes. 317 00:13:00,856 --> 00:13:05,106 And why is it important you have a space for the LGBTQ community? 318 00:13:05,181 --> 00:13:09,079 Well, because I am also gay, 319 00:13:09,252 --> 00:13:12,711 and I like what I feel when I'm in there. 320 00:13:12,747 --> 00:13:15,435 I love to see these kids get out here. 321 00:13:15,499 --> 00:13:16,893 I'd rather them do that 322 00:13:16,902 --> 00:13:19,055 than do something else bad on the street. 323 00:13:19,095 --> 00:13:20,240 You know what I'm saying? 324 00:13:20,245 --> 00:13:22,495 - Yeah. - So for me, it's... 325 00:13:22,544 --> 00:13:23,570 It's like a blessing. 326 00:13:23,601 --> 00:13:24,995 - We had an amazing time. - Ohh. 327 00:13:25,039 --> 00:13:26,828 It's so cool you have this place. 328 00:13:29,398 --> 00:13:31,782 Notably, New Orleans has the fourth-largest 329 00:13:31,795 --> 00:13:33,726 gay population in the country, 330 00:13:34,082 --> 00:13:35,969 but after the party is over... 331 00:13:38,425 --> 00:13:41,026 Across the South, HIV rates are on the rise, 332 00:13:41,162 --> 00:13:43,742 and according to a recent report from the CDC, 333 00:13:43,782 --> 00:13:45,837 Louisiana has the second-highest rate 334 00:13:45,855 --> 00:13:48,346 of new diagnoses in the country. 335 00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:51,088 I'm in Shreveport to learn more 336 00:13:51,089 --> 00:13:55,351 and to try to understand why one out of seven people with HIV in the state 337 00:13:55,378 --> 00:13:57,211 are unaware of their status. 338 00:13:57,690 --> 00:14:01,349 The Philadelphia Center is one of the only HIV support centers 339 00:14:01,371 --> 00:14:04,079 of its kind serving Northern Louisiana. 340 00:14:04,485 --> 00:14:06,334 I'm joining a local support group 341 00:14:06,347 --> 00:14:08,993 for HIV-positive people and their allies. 342 00:14:09,068 --> 00:14:11,599 We can start talking about, maybe, some of the stigma 343 00:14:11,643 --> 00:14:13,477 attached to HIV 344 00:14:13,481 --> 00:14:16,353 and maybe how it's been difficult for you guys 345 00:14:16,429 --> 00:14:19,155 in the past and how, maybe, things are different now. 346 00:14:19,186 --> 00:14:20,704 I was diagnosed back in the '80s, 347 00:14:20,708 --> 00:14:23,758 when the first epidemic started. 348 00:14:24,206 --> 00:14:26,336 And over the years, it's ... it's been a struggle. 349 00:14:26,372 --> 00:14:28,974 I've lost three long-term partners, and that's been tough. 350 00:14:29,308 --> 00:14:31,846 But the good news is it's become a manageable 351 00:14:32,099 --> 00:14:34,824 disease, where we can just live on our medications, 352 00:14:34,873 --> 00:14:37,927 and if we're diligent and we keep our regimen going, 353 00:14:37,949 --> 00:14:39,490 we're gonna... we're gonna survive this. 354 00:14:39,610 --> 00:14:42,250 You know, my biggest fear was being rejected. 355 00:14:42,423 --> 00:14:45,749 When I finally came to terms myself with it, 356 00:14:45,869 --> 00:14:48,158 I was like, "Screw everybody else," you know? 357 00:14:48,501 --> 00:14:50,726 If they... They're either gonna like me, or they're not. 358 00:14:50,965 --> 00:14:53,548 I'm thinking about education in schools, 359 00:14:53,739 --> 00:14:55,875 and maybe you can talk to me more about what... 360 00:14:55,888 --> 00:14:57,162 What's in place in... 361 00:14:57,185 --> 00:14:58,889 - in the state and in the South. - Not a lot. 362 00:14:59,076 --> 00:15:01,509 You know, they do call it the Bible Belt for a reason. 363 00:15:01,540 --> 00:15:03,494 - Right. - We teach a lot of 364 00:15:03,614 --> 00:15:05,959 abstinence-only down here, which has 365 00:15:06,256 --> 00:15:07,898 really been proven not to work. 366 00:15:07,925 --> 00:15:09,283 People are going to have sex. 367 00:15:09,306 --> 00:15:12,187 And then on another level, we are a criminalization state, 368 00:15:12,213 --> 00:15:14,274 to where you can be criminalized 369 00:15:14,394 --> 00:15:15,970 for having sex with somebody 370 00:15:15,992 --> 00:15:17,395 and not telling them you're positive. 371 00:15:17,426 --> 00:15:19,464 So then you have occasions of people 372 00:15:19,513 --> 00:15:21,683 knowing they might potentially be positive, 373 00:15:21,684 --> 00:15:24,116 not getting tested because they don't want 374 00:15:24,449 --> 00:15:27,717 that criminalization to be following them in the system. 375 00:15:27,788 --> 00:15:29,252 So, I mean, it's just... 376 00:15:29,314 --> 00:15:31,640 Fundamentally, the way things are run 377 00:15:31,977 --> 00:15:34,530 is probably why our numbers are so high down here. 378 00:15:35,351 --> 00:15:37,127 DANIEL: And according to the CDC, 379 00:15:37,149 --> 00:15:39,723 if HIV infection rates persist, 380 00:15:39,759 --> 00:15:42,050 half of all gay black men in the U.S. 381 00:15:42,079 --> 00:15:44,895 will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. 382 00:15:46,650 --> 00:15:49,175 - [Doorbell rings] - But this doesn't have to be the case. 383 00:15:50,074 --> 00:15:51,829 I'm meeting with Chanse and Josh, 384 00:15:51,883 --> 00:15:53,591 a young couple who are living together 385 00:15:53,614 --> 00:15:56,402 and staying healthy in a mixed-status relationship. 386 00:15:56,686 --> 00:16:00,473 Chanse has an undetectable viral load due to daily medication, 387 00:16:00,518 --> 00:16:03,346 and Josh is on a course of drugs referred to as PrEP 388 00:16:03,363 --> 00:16:05,791 that keeps his risk of exposure very low. 389 00:16:07,345 --> 00:16:10,124 How exactly did you find out you were HIV-positive? 390 00:16:10,244 --> 00:16:12,375 He wanted to do a blood drive. 391 00:16:12,388 --> 00:16:14,108 - So it was like... - It was the National Gay Blood Drive. 392 00:16:14,177 --> 00:16:16,108 Like, it slightly crossed my mind, like, 393 00:16:16,174 --> 00:16:17,845 "Oh, what if I do have something?" 394 00:16:17,861 --> 00:16:20,689 And then she called us in, she turned around and she was like, 395 00:16:20,693 --> 00:16:22,038 "You just came back positive." 396 00:16:22,074 --> 00:16:23,788 And I was like, "Now I got to go tell Josh." 397 00:16:23,814 --> 00:16:25,190 And I couldn't tell him 'cause I was crying. 398 00:16:25,222 --> 00:16:26,318 He was like, "Well, what's wrong?" 399 00:16:26,340 --> 00:16:28,631 And I was like, "My test results came back positive." 400 00:16:28,648 --> 00:16:30,367 And he was sitting there for a second. He was like, 401 00:16:30,626 --> 00:16:32,899 "Well, let's go get mine and see if they come back positive." 402 00:16:32,948 --> 00:16:36,002 I was like, "I'm going in there, and I'm gonna be positive." 403 00:16:36,034 --> 00:16:37,505 I went in there, and she's like, "You're negative." 404 00:16:37,558 --> 00:16:38,453 I'm like, "Oh, wait. 405 00:16:38,698 --> 00:16:41,526 Test me again. I know I'm positive. I got to be." 406 00:16:41,561 --> 00:16:42,861 What has this done to your relationship? 407 00:16:42,865 --> 00:16:44,892 When you found out you're HIV positive 408 00:16:44,896 --> 00:16:45,932 and that you were negative? 409 00:16:45,950 --> 00:16:49,832 Yeah, our relationship, like, got like 10 times stronger 410 00:16:50,024 --> 00:16:52,527 'cause when you love someone unconditionally, 411 00:16:52,557 --> 00:16:54,805 a health issue shouldn't break y'all apart. 412 00:16:54,854 --> 00:16:57,338 That was why I proposed to him six months later. 413 00:16:57,387 --> 00:17:00,242 Had you heard much about HIV before this experience? 414 00:17:00,246 --> 00:17:01,077 No. 415 00:17:01,730 --> 00:17:02,700 What did you know about it? 416 00:17:02,725 --> 00:17:04,795 That's why I was so mad 'cause all I knew was that 417 00:17:04,915 --> 00:17:06,010 it was HIV, 418 00:17:06,376 --> 00:17:07,913 there was no cure, 419 00:17:08,134 --> 00:17:09,902 and that it turns into AIDS. 420 00:17:09,981 --> 00:17:11,355 'Cause that's the first thing I asked her when she said it. 421 00:17:11,362 --> 00:17:13,653 I was like, "How long am I gonna be alive?" 422 00:17:13,919 --> 00:17:17,868 Because it's painted in this way that's, like, so fatalistic... 423 00:17:17,879 --> 00:17:20,017 - Mm-hmm. Yeah. - ... and a death disease. 424 00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:21,907 That's what people don't, like, understand is 425 00:17:21,981 --> 00:17:25,025 nowadays HIV is not a death sentence anymore. 426 00:17:25,053 --> 00:17:26,541 - No. - Like, nobody should be dying 427 00:17:26,545 --> 00:17:27,983 because of this anymore. Like... 428 00:17:28,001 --> 00:17:29,375 - Mm-hmm. - Mnh-mnh. 429 00:17:29,866 --> 00:17:30,885 And a lot of people are... 430 00:17:30,925 --> 00:17:32,881 Aren't really scared about getting tested. 431 00:17:32,892 --> 00:17:35,332 They're scared to find out the results. 432 00:17:35,452 --> 00:17:37,086 And... And you're going today. 433 00:17:37,147 --> 00:17:39,107 - Mm-hmm. - And I will go with you. 434 00:17:39,129 --> 00:17:41,454 - You're gonna get tested with me? - Yeah, I'll get tested with you. 435 00:17:48,521 --> 00:17:49,335 WOMAN: May I help you? 436 00:17:49,416 --> 00:17:51,910 - We're here to get tested. - Okay. Hold on one second. 437 00:17:53,436 --> 00:17:55,141 So, we're both here for an HIV test? 438 00:17:55,354 --> 00:17:55,958 - Mm-hmm. - Mm-hmm. 439 00:17:56,029 --> 00:17:57,939 We do have a new test. 440 00:17:58,059 --> 00:17:59,090 It takes 20 minutes. 441 00:17:59,210 --> 00:18:00,720 It's the same finger stick. 442 00:18:01,043 --> 00:18:03,217 If I've had sex in the last 10 days, 443 00:18:03,504 --> 00:18:05,415 when should I get tested again? 444 00:18:05,486 --> 00:18:06,864 To get a true negative, 445 00:18:06,984 --> 00:18:08,682 we suggest a month. 446 00:18:09,907 --> 00:18:11,829 Okay. Before it clots. 447 00:18:13,594 --> 00:18:15,394 I need a non-texting finger. 448 00:18:15,781 --> 00:18:17,258 Well that took no time. 449 00:18:17,567 --> 00:18:20,057 You have 5 1/2 minutes. 450 00:18:20,177 --> 00:18:21,598 I'm going to stand out here for a minute. 451 00:18:21,616 --> 00:18:23,684 I just don't feel like I should, like, look at it. 452 00:18:23,836 --> 00:18:25,920 - Do you get tested a lot? - I do get tested a lot. 453 00:18:25,931 --> 00:18:27,752 I'm like, "Hey, I'm around it all the time." 454 00:18:27,816 --> 00:18:29,407 Yeah, no, that's smart. 455 00:18:29,688 --> 00:18:30,998 Ready for your results? 456 00:18:32,139 --> 00:18:33,672 Okay, here we go. 457 00:18:35,013 --> 00:18:37,513 You have a negative test result. 458 00:18:37,527 --> 00:18:39,096 So you are negative for HIV. 459 00:18:39,643 --> 00:18:40,506 All right. 460 00:18:40,524 --> 00:18:42,570 And you're negative for HIV, as well. 461 00:18:42,837 --> 00:18:45,691 DANIEL: My question is now that I've come up with the negative 462 00:18:45,923 --> 00:18:48,241 and I'm not on PrEP but I'm interested in it, 463 00:18:48,292 --> 00:18:50,169 I mean, what's the next step for... for me? 464 00:18:50,254 --> 00:18:53,685 Your first step is to find a physician that'll prescribe it. 465 00:18:53,752 --> 00:18:56,014 - You have to be HIV-negative. - Right. 466 00:18:56,079 --> 00:18:58,163 And you have to test once every three months. 467 00:18:58,543 --> 00:19:00,063 - I have a brochure... - Mm-hmm. 468 00:19:00,099 --> 00:19:01,945 That I'll grab you here in the hallway. 469 00:19:01,959 --> 00:19:04,288 - Okay, well, thank you. Yeah. - Let's grab some condoms on the way out. 470 00:19:04,311 --> 00:19:06,542 Okay. Do you get people in here just take them all, 471 00:19:06,569 --> 00:19:08,434 - like I'm doing right now? - That's a cute one. 472 00:19:08,479 --> 00:19:09,860 I'm gonna do my limit of, like... 473 00:19:10,627 --> 00:19:11,679 That's what they're here for. 474 00:19:11,799 --> 00:19:13,615 - All right, cool. - You sure you don't need more? 475 00:19:14,703 --> 00:19:15,878 [Laughs] 476 00:19:15,998 --> 00:19:17,214 It's... 477 00:19:17,902 --> 00:19:20,517 We love sharing our story because 478 00:19:20,637 --> 00:19:22,200 I think that if you don't, 479 00:19:22,231 --> 00:19:24,961 - then the stigma just gets stronger. - Yeah. 480 00:19:25,329 --> 00:19:26,812 And removing the stigma 481 00:19:26,838 --> 00:19:28,352 is the first step. 482 00:19:28,938 --> 00:19:32,045 Chanse and Josh affirm that with access to information 483 00:19:32,054 --> 00:19:35,361 and healthcare, we will one day beat this disease. 484 00:19:41,265 --> 00:19:42,921 Okay, we're gonna be able to cross in a minute. 485 00:19:43,924 --> 00:19:45,318 Think we can make it? 486 00:19:45,381 --> 00:19:47,794 Sure, if he hits me, it'll just get... I'll be road kill. 487 00:19:47,828 --> 00:19:49,299 I'll do more damage to it than it will to me. 488 00:19:49,322 --> 00:19:50,711 Yeah, can you stand right here? 489 00:19:51,404 --> 00:19:52,567 And we'll just skip along. 490 00:19:53,019 --> 00:19:55,687 - Y'all can see it's in the middle of a road. - _ 491 00:19:55,767 --> 00:19:58,320 - At least they had enough decency - _ 492 00:19:58,364 --> 00:19:59,603 - to move around it - _ 493 00:20:00,073 --> 00:20:02,022 because there's a lot of our history 494 00:20:02,102 --> 00:20:04,104 that's being bulled over just because 495 00:20:04,393 --> 00:20:06,329 - people think they can. - Mm-hmm. 496 00:20:06,355 --> 00:20:08,478 I would like for you to say a prayer, if you don't mind. 497 00:20:08,850 --> 00:20:10,919 - All right. - You want to say the prayer? 498 00:20:11,985 --> 00:20:13,929 A young Confederate's prayer. 499 00:20:14,089 --> 00:20:15,812 I wondered if God would forgive me 500 00:20:15,875 --> 00:20:17,437 for the men that I have killed. 501 00:20:17,703 --> 00:20:19,062 Would he understand the reason 502 00:20:19,089 --> 00:20:21,654 I was fighting for my freedom of my homeland. 503 00:20:21,894 --> 00:20:24,140 Before I go to sleep forever, I pray 504 00:20:24,180 --> 00:20:25,769 put a Rebel flag on my grave 505 00:20:25,778 --> 00:20:27,962 because I died for the love of the South. 506 00:20:28,082 --> 00:20:30,031 Will you pray for me? Amen. 507 00:20:33,005 --> 00:20:35,634 DANIEL: The deep South is experiencing what some call 508 00:20:35,660 --> 00:20:36,863 the Confederate Spring, 509 00:20:36,983 --> 00:20:38,964 as ultra-conservative Tea Partiers 510 00:20:38,980 --> 00:20:40,729 gain influence in the region. 511 00:20:40,938 --> 00:20:42,997 I'm making my way into Mississippi, 512 00:20:43,233 --> 00:20:45,217 which is one of a few Southern states 513 00:20:45,235 --> 00:20:47,806 whose flag still contains Confederate imagery. 514 00:20:47,887 --> 00:20:49,968 It's a symbol of heritage to some 515 00:20:50,146 --> 00:20:53,533 but a daily reminder of systemic oppression to others. 516 00:20:53,906 --> 00:20:55,490 Just before I arrived, 517 00:20:55,517 --> 00:20:57,732 the last segregated schools in the state 518 00:20:57,763 --> 00:21:00,680 are being ordered to integrate by the Federal Government. 519 00:21:01,372 --> 00:21:03,774 And this is the same state responsible 520 00:21:03,832 --> 00:21:06,225 for passing the nation's harshest legislation 521 00:21:06,261 --> 00:21:08,505 targeting the LGBTQ community. 522 00:21:09,479 --> 00:21:12,115 Since blocked, House Bill 1523 523 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,371 would have allowed any persons or businesses 524 00:21:14,398 --> 00:21:18,087 to discriminate solely based on sexuality or gender identity. 525 00:21:18,207 --> 00:21:20,271 But right now I'm going to a town 526 00:21:20,298 --> 00:21:22,255 that largely opposed the Confederacy. 527 00:21:22,588 --> 00:21:26,264 I came upon this small town called Natchez, Mississippi, 528 00:21:26,268 --> 00:21:29,408 and it's really cute and it seems very all-American Southern. 529 00:21:29,427 --> 00:21:30,917 And we Googled it 530 00:21:30,973 --> 00:21:33,997 to see what it was like, and it said it's the birthplace of Mississippi. 531 00:21:34,020 --> 00:21:36,778 But it also said in a local newspaper... one resident said 532 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:41,189 that after midnight, all men turn gay in Natchez. 533 00:21:41,250 --> 00:21:42,687 So let's find out if that's true. 534 00:21:43,353 --> 00:21:49,252 ♪ Y'all come out, come out, my dears, to lavender country ♪ 535 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,980 - ♪ Sashay out and give our a way a try ♪ - I want to meet a queer Mississippian, 536 00:21:53,100 --> 00:21:55,810 and there's no gay bars here. So... 537 00:21:56,986 --> 00:22:01,376 - MAN: These are all the period dresses. - This is Layne Taylor, 538 00:22:01,398 --> 00:22:04,622 the artistic director of the Natchez Little Theatre. 539 00:22:04,661 --> 00:22:06,320 - Mm-hmm. - You haven't lived 540 00:22:06,354 --> 00:22:08,108 until you've tried on a hoop skirt. 541 00:22:08,124 --> 00:22:10,594 And he's cast me as his leading lady. 542 00:22:10,627 --> 00:22:13,510 We won't put you in the pantalettes of the period... 543 00:22:13,514 --> 00:22:15,755 - Well... - Because they were crotch-less. 544 00:22:15,786 --> 00:22:18,690 All right, this is ladies' wardrobe storage. 545 00:22:18,699 --> 00:22:20,612 And this is our prop room. 546 00:22:20,794 --> 00:22:22,361 This is our makeup room, 547 00:22:22,379 --> 00:22:25,416 where we keep our wigs, a lot of women's blouses. 548 00:22:25,460 --> 00:22:28,914 If you'll just hold the... Put your... Yeah, perfect. 549 00:22:29,034 --> 00:22:31,574 - Here we go. - Those bangs are a little short. 550 00:22:31,601 --> 00:22:34,292 I actually know what I'm doing, believe it or not. 551 00:22:34,740 --> 00:22:35,734 Lovely. 552 00:22:35,854 --> 00:22:37,359 You're a natural beauty. 553 00:22:37,874 --> 00:22:40,764 She looks... She looks like she's a little bit lopsided, 554 00:22:40,786 --> 00:22:42,153 but that might be part of her thing. 555 00:22:42,197 --> 00:22:43,795 - It could be. - She's a little messy. 556 00:22:43,818 --> 00:22:44,689 She could have been in an accident. 557 00:22:44,711 --> 00:22:47,286 She could have fallen going under the hill for cocktails. 558 00:22:47,858 --> 00:22:49,252 - [Laughs] - Okay. 559 00:22:49,288 --> 00:22:51,271 Look at those lovely hips. 560 00:22:51,637 --> 00:22:53,200 - Oh. - And that is natural. 561 00:22:53,213 --> 00:22:54,536 - Popping that booty. - I want you to know 562 00:22:54,541 --> 00:22:57,881 - we did not use a bustle in this production. - Money, money, money. 563 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:00,868 - I love it. - All right, let's go. Places to start. 564 00:23:02,278 --> 00:23:03,338 Action. 565 00:23:03,384 --> 00:23:06,246 How lovely you look. [Giggles] 566 00:23:06,285 --> 00:23:07,653 [Kiss] 567 00:23:07,878 --> 00:23:11,734 Layne revives historic plays about the antebellum South. 568 00:23:12,527 --> 00:23:15,358 Before he took over the theater in 2001, 569 00:23:15,386 --> 00:23:17,955 actors were still performing in blackface. 570 00:23:18,075 --> 00:23:19,909 He immediately changed that, 571 00:23:19,975 --> 00:23:22,416 ushering in a new era where parts are cast 572 00:23:22,456 --> 00:23:25,325 regardless of race, gender, or sexuality. 573 00:23:25,353 --> 00:23:27,750 Oh, played fabulously! 574 00:23:27,939 --> 00:23:31,246 [Applause] Brava! Brava, diva! 575 00:23:31,701 --> 00:23:34,530 Brava, diva! Oh, fabulous! 576 00:23:34,551 --> 00:23:38,074 Just think of the plays you could do here, 577 00:23:38,081 --> 00:23:39,509 starring Ian. 578 00:23:39,808 --> 00:23:43,364 Ian as Jezebel. Is that a play? I know that's a movie. 579 00:23:43,386 --> 00:23:44,696 - I'm imagining it. - [Laughs] 580 00:23:44,723 --> 00:23:47,387 I don't know what the hell's going on in Natchez? 581 00:23:47,443 --> 00:23:49,468 I don't really know much about Natchez. Let me tell you. 582 00:23:49,502 --> 00:23:53,347 It's one of the oldest settlements on the Mississippi River. 583 00:23:53,365 --> 00:23:55,718 We're celebrating our 300th birthday. 584 00:23:55,798 --> 00:23:58,461 We didn't participate in the Civil War. 585 00:23:58,976 --> 00:24:00,886 We were Union-sympathetic. 586 00:24:00,921 --> 00:24:03,513 We voted against secession from the Union. 587 00:24:03,542 --> 00:24:06,168 Would you say that it's a gay-friendly city? 588 00:24:06,235 --> 00:24:07,118 I... 589 00:24:08,055 --> 00:24:11,954 in all honesty, believe Natchez was a gay-friendly city 590 00:24:11,989 --> 00:24:13,449 - 300 years ago. - Mm-hmm. 591 00:24:13,489 --> 00:24:15,891 I've been in and out of Natchez all of my life. 592 00:24:15,953 --> 00:24:17,986 Gay life is what you make it here. 593 00:24:18,017 --> 00:24:20,313 - And it's accepted. - What about Mississippi? Because, um... 594 00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:22,386 - Yeah. - I mean, Mississippi now... 595 00:24:22,404 --> 00:24:24,712 You would say it's becoming more conservative, and what does that... 596 00:24:24,734 --> 00:24:27,171 what does that mean to L... for LGBT people? 597 00:24:27,206 --> 00:24:29,879 Well, I... I... I think we've gone about as low as we can go. 598 00:24:29,910 --> 00:24:32,419 I do not understand why 599 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,015 the population of the state elects people 600 00:24:35,033 --> 00:24:38,753 that don't have the interests of the people at heart. 601 00:24:38,793 --> 00:24:41,550 See, I do have issues with that. I don't like hypocrisy. 602 00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:44,113 - Right. - As Ms. Sugarbaker in 603 00:24:44,139 --> 00:24:45,551 - "Designing Women" said... - Yeah. 604 00:24:45,564 --> 00:24:49,044 "We love our skeletons in our closet. 605 00:24:49,053 --> 00:24:50,775 We bring them out and rattle them." 606 00:24:50,802 --> 00:24:52,946 I mean, that's the way it should be. 607 00:24:52,956 --> 00:24:54,699 I had such an amazing time. 608 00:24:54,717 --> 00:24:58,153 Layne revels in rattling the long-held traditions of the South, 609 00:24:58,592 --> 00:25:01,979 but if you look closely, he doesn't just make plays. 610 00:25:02,534 --> 00:25:04,615 By reclaiming Southern literature, 611 00:25:04,648 --> 00:25:07,115 he gives voice to the many narratives that make up 612 00:25:07,147 --> 00:25:09,739 the true diversity of the deep South. 613 00:25:17,411 --> 00:25:19,471 DANIEL: I'm making my way through the deep South, 614 00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:21,601 and now I'm falling off the map 615 00:25:21,637 --> 00:25:23,902 and going to a lesbian-only community 616 00:25:24,022 --> 00:25:26,512 that's been hidden in the woods for almost 20 years. 617 00:25:27,485 --> 00:25:28,774 And to keep it that way, 618 00:25:28,853 --> 00:25:31,043 they've asked that we not reveal their location. 619 00:25:32,624 --> 00:25:33,544 All right, so, 620 00:25:35,085 --> 00:25:36,901 I don't know where I'm going. 621 00:25:37,021 --> 00:25:38,539 I think that's the point. 622 00:25:38,961 --> 00:25:40,599 Oh, there's Barbara right there. 623 00:25:41,660 --> 00:25:43,462 - Hi. - Hi, it's great to meet you. 624 00:25:43,467 --> 00:25:45,225 - I'm Barbara Lieu. - Oh, it's so nice to meet you. 625 00:25:45,241 --> 00:25:47,303 - I like your outfit, by the way. - [Laughter] 626 00:25:47,377 --> 00:25:48,732 - It's very... - Yeah, I'm very chic. 627 00:25:48,741 --> 00:25:50,219 You're chic! Yeah, you're, like... 628 00:25:50,272 --> 00:25:52,874 - You're, like, woods-chic. - The place where I... 629 00:25:52,891 --> 00:25:55,488 - Woods-chic. That's me, yeah. - Woodsy-chic, yeah. 630 00:25:56,598 --> 00:25:59,124 They've been gracious enough to invite me on their land 631 00:25:59,173 --> 00:26:01,530 but are putting me to work clearing some brush. 632 00:26:01,916 --> 00:26:03,980 You've lived through a lot. You've... You've seen a lot. 633 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:07,429 So what is the difference between coming out in the '70s, 634 00:26:07,469 --> 00:26:09,804 - coming out now? - You know, when I came out in the '70s, 635 00:26:09,844 --> 00:26:11,611 the group that I came into in Charleston 636 00:26:11,634 --> 00:26:13,750 was fighting for women to have the right to have 637 00:26:13,764 --> 00:26:15,615 a credit card in their own name. 638 00:26:15,646 --> 00:26:18,788 Hello. Women couldn't have a credit card in their own name. 639 00:26:18,908 --> 00:26:20,551 - Uh-huh. - They oftentimes couldn't own 640 00:26:20,576 --> 00:26:22,349 the property that was theirs 641 00:26:22,362 --> 00:26:24,360 that they brought into a marriage. I mean, it... 642 00:26:24,391 --> 00:26:27,702 It seems it's just a short lifetime ago 643 00:26:27,724 --> 00:26:29,318 that these things were true. 644 00:26:29,331 --> 00:26:31,227 And we've built a retreat space for lesbians. 645 00:26:31,231 --> 00:26:33,380 They came from all over the country, 646 00:26:33,388 --> 00:26:35,347 and they called it Lesbian Heaven. 647 00:26:35,382 --> 00:26:36,856 What do you think about the... 648 00:26:37,087 --> 00:26:40,696 I think... the lesbian community now, or the younger generation 649 00:26:40,718 --> 00:26:42,569 of women coming up in the movement... 650 00:26:42,578 --> 00:26:43,905 - Bless them. - Bless them. 651 00:26:43,932 --> 00:26:47,215 - Meaning what? - I'm very proud of the lesbians now 652 00:26:47,335 --> 00:26:49,668 and so glad that they have 653 00:26:49,671 --> 00:26:51,040 the opportunities that they have. 654 00:26:51,057 --> 00:26:52,535 And we fought hard for that. 655 00:26:52,655 --> 00:26:55,186 There are 18 women living in this community, 656 00:26:55,242 --> 00:26:57,525 and they come here from all over the country 657 00:26:57,552 --> 00:26:59,758 to create a society closer to the land. 658 00:26:59,948 --> 00:27:02,080 - Hi. - This is Barbara. 659 00:27:02,111 --> 00:27:04,623 [Chuckles] Barbara, this is Ian. 660 00:27:04,652 --> 00:27:06,564 - Hey. - Hi, how are you? 661 00:27:06,599 --> 00:27:08,100 - Aw. - It's good to meet you. 662 00:27:08,155 --> 00:27:10,733 - Thanks for having me. - I lived in Florida in an area 663 00:27:10,853 --> 00:27:14,075 where you really didn't want to come out too much, okay? 664 00:27:14,195 --> 00:27:15,528 And even though you don't want 665 00:27:15,532 --> 00:27:17,378 to come out too much up here, either, 666 00:27:18,457 --> 00:27:20,138 it was a different type of peace. 667 00:27:20,258 --> 00:27:22,684 What about around here? 'Cause driving in, I saw 668 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,158 - probably like three or four Confederate flags. - Oh, yeah. 669 00:27:25,278 --> 00:27:28,830 And does that influence what's going on here? 670 00:27:28,842 --> 00:27:30,295 Or does that influence how you 671 00:27:30,343 --> 00:27:31,915 interact with your community? 672 00:27:31,982 --> 00:27:34,667 My feeling is that I've come into this area 673 00:27:34,787 --> 00:27:37,425 where this is the precedent here of how it is. 674 00:27:37,460 --> 00:27:39,206 And it is right-wing, and it is conservative. 675 00:27:39,208 --> 00:27:41,788 So my thing is to come in and quietly 676 00:27:42,023 --> 00:27:44,606 be a help and be an influence. And I am. 677 00:27:44,624 --> 00:27:46,720 - Mm-hmm. - I work with a local church 678 00:27:46,759 --> 00:27:49,680 helping to feed, you know, people in this community. 679 00:27:49,702 --> 00:27:51,558 - Mm. - And I do things like that. 680 00:27:51,631 --> 00:27:54,608 And more people are beginning to know 681 00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:56,086 that I am gay. 682 00:27:56,168 --> 00:27:58,222 - Mm. - And it's okay. 683 00:27:58,599 --> 00:28:00,037 [Barking] 684 00:28:00,304 --> 00:28:02,191 All right, let me just get my foot here. 685 00:28:02,746 --> 00:28:03,689 Okay. 686 00:28:03,809 --> 00:28:06,257 DANIEL: Spending time in a queer utopia in the woods 687 00:28:06,270 --> 00:28:07,912 makes me want to stay all day, 688 00:28:07,916 --> 00:28:09,862 but I got to hit the road... 689 00:28:09,982 --> 00:28:11,245 Bye. 690 00:28:17,505 --> 00:28:19,383 ... and make it to my next stop... 691 00:28:20,089 --> 00:28:21,833 Atlanta, Georgia. 692 00:28:23,045 --> 00:28:25,265 And what better way to roll into town 693 00:28:25,269 --> 00:28:27,907 than with an all-lesbian motorcycle club? 694 00:28:30,499 --> 00:28:33,220 They call themselves the Fat Bottom Girls. 695 00:28:33,265 --> 00:28:35,458 - That was fun. - Welcome to helmet head. 696 00:28:35,473 --> 00:28:37,646 Helmet head? I think it's kind of a good look for me. 697 00:28:37,709 --> 00:28:39,120 So, Fat Bottom Girls... 698 00:28:39,231 --> 00:28:41,255 - I like it. I started... - I started Fat Bottom Girls 699 00:28:41,317 --> 00:28:42,409 - in 2008. - Uh-huh. 700 00:28:42,484 --> 00:28:44,446 You know what happens after you break up with somebody 701 00:28:44,451 --> 00:28:46,098 and it's been one of those kinds of break-ups? 702 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,065 And you're like, "Oh, my God, I've got to start my life 703 00:28:48,087 --> 00:28:49,525 all over again, do it all different." 704 00:28:49,583 --> 00:28:51,501 So I started a meet-up. 705 00:28:51,914 --> 00:28:54,533 Being on a motorcycle gives you access to 706 00:28:54,599 --> 00:28:56,029 a kind of community 707 00:28:56,494 --> 00:28:58,336 that you might not automatically... 708 00:28:58,620 --> 00:28:59,957 - Right. - ... feel a part of. 709 00:28:59,970 --> 00:29:03,215 So, what is that community... The lesbian community in Atlanta? 710 00:29:03,233 --> 00:29:05,483 I don't know. It can be a little difficult to get into, 711 00:29:05,501 --> 00:29:07,716 a little difficult to get out of. 712 00:29:07,738 --> 00:29:09,532 - I've heard, yeah. - Right, because, you know... 713 00:29:09,558 --> 00:29:10,997 You know, you break up with your girlfriend, 714 00:29:11,015 --> 00:29:12,329 but they don't go away. 715 00:29:12,449 --> 00:29:13,296 - [Laughter] - Right. 716 00:29:13,332 --> 00:29:14,908 - Exactly. - They're around forever. 717 00:29:14,908 --> 00:29:16,493 They're around forever. 718 00:29:16,550 --> 00:29:18,299 What is it about the bike, right, 719 00:29:18,335 --> 00:29:19,658 that you... That you like? 720 00:29:19,689 --> 00:29:20,811 - The power. - Yeah. 721 00:29:20,820 --> 00:29:22,321 - We love the power. - Yeah. 722 00:29:22,334 --> 00:29:23,591 You just feel it underneath you, 723 00:29:23,591 --> 00:29:25,500 and you just kick it, you know? 724 00:29:25,509 --> 00:29:27,529 I mean, I'm not trying to put something on it that it's not. 725 00:29:27,557 --> 00:29:28,905 It was a little erotic. It's vibrating. 726 00:29:28,927 --> 00:29:30,193 - That's on it. - That's on it? 727 00:29:30,241 --> 00:29:32,013 - Yes. - It's got the leather. 728 00:29:32,061 --> 00:29:33,393 - It's got the... It's got the... It's got the... - That's on it. 729 00:29:33,471 --> 00:29:34,256 You feel it. 730 00:29:34,302 --> 00:29:35,499 - You feel it in your whole body. - Love it. 731 00:29:35,524 --> 00:29:38,617 - Pleasure. - I think we're good on the big vibrating things. 732 00:29:38,703 --> 00:29:40,698 Yeah, we got that. We got that. 733 00:29:40,780 --> 00:29:43,560 DANIEL: Talking to the women has me thinking about freedom, 734 00:29:43,571 --> 00:29:45,069 sex, and leather. 735 00:29:45,140 --> 00:29:47,903 Right now I'm on my way into the Eagle, 736 00:29:48,311 --> 00:29:51,160 which is one of the oldest gay bars in Georgia. 737 00:29:51,217 --> 00:29:52,545 It's a leather bar. 738 00:29:52,893 --> 00:29:55,130 All right, I've been to a few leather bars in my day, 739 00:29:55,158 --> 00:29:56,874 but I've never put leather on this... 740 00:29:57,588 --> 00:29:58,500 this bod, 741 00:29:58,620 --> 00:30:01,806 and I think that I'm feeling like tonight's the night. 742 00:30:01,849 --> 00:30:03,131 So I'm gonna go experiment. 743 00:30:03,251 --> 00:30:05,088 - Hello. How are you? - Hey. I'm Ian. 744 00:30:05,208 --> 00:30:06,605 - Ian, I'm Ray. - Hi, Ray. 745 00:30:06,626 --> 00:30:08,586 - Nice to meet you. - I would like for you to 746 00:30:08,636 --> 00:30:11,281 tell me what's gonna make me, like, pop off? 747 00:30:11,299 --> 00:30:13,291 I would maybe do a Bulldog. 748 00:30:13,447 --> 00:30:15,443 It's designed for guys like myself, or you, 749 00:30:15,496 --> 00:30:19,413 who don't have the pecs out to here and the six pack, okay? 750 00:30:19,533 --> 00:30:20,382 That is where this where 751 00:30:20,393 --> 00:30:22,392 - this harness... - You may not know what's underneath this shirt. 752 00:30:22,414 --> 00:30:24,224 Well, I don't know that. That's true. 753 00:30:25,315 --> 00:30:27,194 This is inappropriate for the camera. 754 00:30:27,314 --> 00:30:30,695 [Laughs] 755 00:30:32,460 --> 00:30:33,987 Look, Mom, I'm on TV. 756 00:30:34,020 --> 00:30:36,170 - Oh, there's a snap? - There's a snap right here. 757 00:30:36,345 --> 00:30:37,786 - Okay! - And it would go right there. 758 00:30:37,807 --> 00:30:38,919 Right on your... 759 00:30:39,981 --> 00:30:42,059 I've come to the Eagle on a special night. 760 00:30:43,089 --> 00:30:46,335 It's their monthly BDSM party "Unchained." 761 00:30:46,365 --> 00:30:47,506 So, what's going on here? 762 00:30:47,626 --> 00:30:50,357 - This is the flogging. - _ 763 00:30:50,392 --> 00:30:52,683 - Okay. - _ 764 00:30:53,017 --> 00:30:54,345 All right. So, tell me about the event. 765 00:30:54,370 --> 00:30:58,251 _ 766 00:30:58,371 --> 00:30:59,604 _ 767 00:30:59,607 --> 00:31:01,632 _ 768 00:31:01,671 --> 00:31:04,249 _ 769 00:31:04,297 --> 00:31:08,058 _ 770 00:31:08,111 --> 00:31:12,170 _ 771 00:31:12,213 --> 00:31:14,276 _ 772 00:31:14,304 --> 00:31:16,587 _ 773 00:31:16,623 --> 00:31:18,452 _ 774 00:31:18,456 --> 00:31:20,371 _ 775 00:31:20,491 --> 00:31:23,190 _ 776 00:31:23,850 --> 00:31:26,784 DANIEL: The sense of community here feels just as strong 777 00:31:26,805 --> 00:31:29,206 as many of the places I've been to thus far. 778 00:31:29,266 --> 00:31:31,716 It feels important to have spaces like these, 779 00:31:32,001 --> 00:31:34,074 where queer people can come together 780 00:31:34,194 --> 00:31:36,336 and embrace their sexual identities. 781 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:38,737 Before I leave tonight, 782 00:31:38,797 --> 00:31:40,732 there's just one more thing I got to do. 783 00:31:40,852 --> 00:31:42,142 [Laughs] Ow! 784 00:31:42,220 --> 00:31:44,180 Okay, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red. 785 00:31:44,656 --> 00:31:45,740 Ow! 786 00:31:45,990 --> 00:31:47,391 That hurts, yo. 787 00:31:51,436 --> 00:31:52,952 DANIEL: I'm in Atlanta, Georgia, 788 00:31:52,998 --> 00:31:54,269 the heart of the Bible Belt, 789 00:31:54,518 --> 00:31:57,859 where 76% of the population identifies as Christian. 790 00:31:59,467 --> 00:32:01,631 ♪ Walk, walk, walk ♪ 791 00:32:01,929 --> 00:32:03,563 During the civil rights movement, 792 00:32:03,588 --> 00:32:07,051 churches provided rationale for both justifying segregation 793 00:32:07,224 --> 00:32:09,500 and encouraging progressive reform. 794 00:32:09,652 --> 00:32:13,402 ♪ I want you to walk ♪ 795 00:32:14,003 --> 00:32:16,216 Still today, many look to the church 796 00:32:16,241 --> 00:32:18,078 for political and social guidance 797 00:32:18,110 --> 00:32:20,258 on today's most pressing issues, 798 00:32:20,738 --> 00:32:22,667 like LGBTQ rights. 799 00:32:23,363 --> 00:32:26,221 While there's some churches that are making progressive strides, 800 00:32:26,341 --> 00:32:29,076 many still condemn homosexuality as a sin. 801 00:32:31,989 --> 00:32:34,685 But just because some churches don't accept gay people 802 00:32:34,731 --> 00:32:37,370 doesn't mean that there aren't gay people in church. 803 00:32:37,679 --> 00:32:40,928 Church is one thing, but, like, the black church... 804 00:32:42,339 --> 00:32:46,518 Being attached to, like, a pastor, and then 805 00:32:48,017 --> 00:32:49,011 I'm gay... 806 00:32:49,043 --> 00:32:52,872 What would happen if we took the blur away from your face, 807 00:32:52,936 --> 00:32:54,005 and you were on the show? 808 00:32:54,125 --> 00:32:55,388 It would 809 00:32:57,388 --> 00:32:59,643 directly affect my parents 810 00:33:00,210 --> 00:33:02,122 and their ministry... 811 00:33:02,257 --> 00:33:03,996 ... and the people that follow them. 812 00:33:04,167 --> 00:33:06,458 What is the church's stance on homosexuality? 813 00:33:06,461 --> 00:33:08,197 Or how does your dad feel about it? 814 00:33:08,379 --> 00:33:10,548 It's... It's not okay. It's not accepted. 815 00:33:10,594 --> 00:33:12,676 It's not anything that they will acknowledge. 816 00:33:12,992 --> 00:33:15,435 And he's kind of like, "I love you with the love of God, 817 00:33:15,442 --> 00:33:17,150 but, you know, I'm not 818 00:33:17,370 --> 00:33:19,149 gonna condone your behavior." Like, 819 00:33:19,217 --> 00:33:20,764 it's those type of conversations. 820 00:33:21,190 --> 00:33:22,908 And so you're feeling this, like... 821 00:33:23,876 --> 00:33:25,189 Rejection-type thing. 822 00:33:25,218 --> 00:33:26,692 - Yeah. - For sure. 823 00:33:26,713 --> 00:33:27,931 We had a full... 824 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,172 full blow-out last week, literally, 825 00:33:30,201 --> 00:33:31,316 about this conversation. 826 00:33:31,341 --> 00:33:32,992 You're saying "break out," "come out." 827 00:33:33,017 --> 00:33:35,137 Maybe not come out aggressively. 828 00:33:35,155 --> 00:33:36,569 - Mm-hmm. - But, you know, you could 829 00:33:36,590 --> 00:33:39,761 find a balance of being true to yourself 830 00:33:39,786 --> 00:33:43,166 while respectful of how other people feel. 831 00:33:43,198 --> 00:33:44,040 I don't know. 832 00:33:44,101 --> 00:33:47,471 I'm terrified to even do that, you know? 833 00:33:47,503 --> 00:33:48,374 All right, I'm... 834 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,446 I'm gay. This is my partner. I love worship. 835 00:33:52,670 --> 00:33:54,997 Come see me Sunday night. I don't know. 836 00:33:55,245 --> 00:33:58,217 It sucks that we have to live in this... 837 00:33:58,669 --> 00:34:00,973 - this blur. - Crazy, yeah. Absolutely. 838 00:34:01,140 --> 00:34:02,980 But things change. 839 00:34:04,776 --> 00:34:08,371 LGBTQ Southerners are still up against social stigma, 840 00:34:08,446 --> 00:34:10,623 and unchecked stigma breeds hate, 841 00:34:10,832 --> 00:34:13,322 which, in some cases, leads to violence. 842 00:34:13,507 --> 00:34:15,805 In fact, according to the FBI, 843 00:34:16,011 --> 00:34:19,622 LGBT people are more likely to be targets of hate crimes 844 00:34:19,704 --> 00:34:21,949 than any other minority group. 845 00:34:22,418 --> 00:34:24,687 Marquez Tolbert was sleeping 846 00:34:24,723 --> 00:34:26,478 when his boyfriend's mother's partner 847 00:34:26,485 --> 00:34:28,193 attacked him with boiling water. 848 00:34:28,574 --> 00:34:31,099 He's now recovering from third-degree burns. 849 00:34:31,863 --> 00:34:33,649 I'm meeting with him and his mother. 850 00:34:33,664 --> 00:34:36,021 - You grew up in Atlanta? - Yes, born and raised. 851 00:34:36,071 --> 00:34:37,385 Born and raised. What about you? 852 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:38,259 - You, as well? - Born and raised. 853 00:34:38,287 --> 00:34:40,570 All right. But, you identify as a gay man. 854 00:34:40,613 --> 00:34:42,466 - Yes, I do. - Yeah, put that out on the table. 855 00:34:42,484 --> 00:34:45,640 And so with that, how did that come into play about your... 856 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:47,306 Your upbringing and... ? 857 00:34:47,526 --> 00:34:50,211 - I came out at 19. - Mm-hmm. 858 00:34:50,331 --> 00:34:52,089 I wanted to come out for a long time. 859 00:34:52,149 --> 00:34:54,498 I just didn't know how to say it. I didn't know what to say. 860 00:34:54,533 --> 00:34:56,696 I didn't want to spew it on people 'cause 861 00:34:56,953 --> 00:34:58,363 everybody's not the same. It's like, 862 00:34:58,366 --> 00:35:00,436 "Oh, you're gay? It's cool. You know, it's fine." 863 00:35:00,454 --> 00:35:01,914 - Everybody's not like that, so... - Right. 864 00:35:01,936 --> 00:35:04,045 The moment, then, that he comes to you and says, 865 00:35:04,073 --> 00:35:06,616 "Hey, Mom, I'm gay," were you excited? 866 00:35:06,634 --> 00:35:08,544 Were you relieved? Were you scared? 867 00:35:08,633 --> 00:35:10,533 - Relieved and scared. - Mm-hmm. 868 00:35:10,582 --> 00:35:14,819 My biggest fear had always been someone bothering him. 869 00:35:14,890 --> 00:35:17,078 And then, so, when he finally came out, my biggest fear 870 00:35:17,096 --> 00:35:19,882 became someone bothering you because you're gay. 871 00:35:20,002 --> 00:35:21,289 - Right. - You know, so... 872 00:35:21,292 --> 00:35:23,703 Let's talk about the incident. All right? 873 00:35:23,977 --> 00:35:25,617 Because it was a big story. 874 00:35:25,941 --> 00:35:27,159 It went very viral. 875 00:35:27,197 --> 00:35:28,395 - Yeah. - Yeah. 876 00:35:28,565 --> 00:35:30,614 That's a lot to be going through. 877 00:35:30,799 --> 00:35:34,999 Yeah, it was an awful lot to go through, you know, 878 00:35:35,010 --> 00:35:36,353 - in such a short time. - Mm-hmm. 879 00:35:36,407 --> 00:35:39,638 So much happened, and with all that happening to you, 880 00:35:39,830 --> 00:35:42,025 when you're in such a bad place right now, 881 00:35:42,050 --> 00:35:43,310 you just have to find the light, 882 00:35:43,346 --> 00:35:45,455 or this will destroy you, you know? 883 00:35:46,004 --> 00:35:48,447 So I thought... I was just like, "I know this is terrible. 884 00:35:48,468 --> 00:35:50,368 Like, look at your face, but 885 00:35:50,926 --> 00:35:52,737 you have to believe you're gonna get through this." 886 00:35:52,826 --> 00:35:54,812 And there are no hate crime laws in Georgia. 887 00:35:54,819 --> 00:35:55,898 No hate crime laws in Georgia. 888 00:35:55,934 --> 00:35:58,139 So what... what happens when there are no hate crime laws? 889 00:35:58,164 --> 00:35:59,620 Does that... What does that affect? 890 00:35:59,947 --> 00:36:02,923 Honestly, it affects his true punishment. 891 00:36:02,980 --> 00:36:04,986 - Right. - Like, this is a hate crime... 892 00:36:05,018 --> 00:36:06,190 - Yeah. - ... period. 893 00:36:06,620 --> 00:36:08,548 - Yeah. - And I feel like 894 00:36:08,612 --> 00:36:10,472 it should be recognized as such. 895 00:36:10,504 --> 00:36:12,561 I honestly feel like he tried to kill us. 896 00:36:13,129 --> 00:36:14,958 So it was... 897 00:36:15,824 --> 00:36:18,701 it was just... And now with me healing, 898 00:36:18,896 --> 00:36:21,084 my body's not the same as it used to be. 899 00:36:21,780 --> 00:36:24,807 I basically have to adjust to a new normal. 900 00:36:27,132 --> 00:36:27,899 Yeah. 901 00:36:28,674 --> 00:36:29,959 - What is that called? - This is... 902 00:36:29,988 --> 00:36:31,678 This is my compression shirt. 903 00:36:31,694 --> 00:36:33,628 - This helps with the swelling. - Mm. 904 00:36:33,748 --> 00:36:38,006 So I actually have to wear this for one to two years... 905 00:36:38,258 --> 00:36:40,569 - Oh, wow. - For my skin to heal completely. 906 00:36:41,486 --> 00:36:42,839 Without further ado... 907 00:36:42,856 --> 00:36:44,007 [Chuckles] 908 00:36:49,206 --> 00:36:50,158 Wow. 909 00:36:50,694 --> 00:36:52,850 It doesn't hurt when you're touching it right now? 910 00:36:52,970 --> 00:36:56,308 No, it doesn't hurt, but it actually, like... 911 00:36:57,122 --> 00:36:58,841 Like, say somebody gives me a hug, 912 00:36:58,841 --> 00:36:59,945 and they're patting me on the back, 913 00:37:00,133 --> 00:37:01,642 it's a little irritating. 914 00:37:01,656 --> 00:37:03,293 So it's like, "Wait, don't do that." 915 00:37:03,332 --> 00:37:05,516 You've overcome a lot, to be honest. 916 00:37:05,636 --> 00:37:07,821 What about... I think just on a minor level, 917 00:37:07,824 --> 00:37:11,197 of young kids that are... that are having the same worries 918 00:37:11,663 --> 00:37:14,575 about being out and feeling like there's potential danger 919 00:37:14,589 --> 00:37:16,379 lurking around any corner. I mean, what... 920 00:37:16,457 --> 00:37:18,787 Now that you've been through this, what advice do you have? 921 00:37:18,865 --> 00:37:21,677 Be careful, but do not live in fear. 922 00:37:22,455 --> 00:37:25,827 Don't let that fear stop you from... from living, 923 00:37:25,943 --> 00:37:29,447 from being who you are or who you want to be. 924 00:37:35,006 --> 00:37:36,643 - I'm Ian. - Officer King. 925 00:37:36,688 --> 00:37:38,050 All right, Officer King. 926 00:37:38,605 --> 00:37:40,114 DANIEL: I'm in Atlanta, Georgia, 927 00:37:40,158 --> 00:37:42,684 where the police force is now taking some steps 928 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:45,668 to deal with violence against the LGBTQ community. 929 00:37:47,701 --> 00:37:49,242 - Let's take it to the streets. - All right. 930 00:37:49,362 --> 00:37:51,959 I'm on a ride-along with Officer Eric King, 931 00:37:51,959 --> 00:37:54,843 Atlanta P.D.'s LGBTQ liaison. 932 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,053 Wow, you're giving me the gay tour of 933 00:37:57,129 --> 00:38:00,432 Hot-lanta right now. From a cop in a uniform. 934 00:38:00,552 --> 00:38:03,122 Why do you think Georgia, which seems to 935 00:38:04,112 --> 00:38:06,878 not be that progressive in terms of laws for LGBT people, 936 00:38:06,918 --> 00:38:09,332 would have this kind of program in place? 937 00:38:09,452 --> 00:38:12,134 Atlanta has always been this black-gay Mecca. 938 00:38:12,156 --> 00:38:13,745 They've had to 939 00:38:14,184 --> 00:38:17,265 evolve in order to support the LGBT community. 940 00:38:17,642 --> 00:38:19,374 You know, Georgia... We don't have any 941 00:38:19,392 --> 00:38:22,548 hate crime laws, and we actively have hate crimes 942 00:38:22,868 --> 00:38:24,927 occurring on a daily basis. 943 00:38:25,509 --> 00:38:28,376 And now trans women of color 944 00:38:28,496 --> 00:38:32,442 are the number-one victims of abuse. 945 00:38:32,625 --> 00:38:34,121 That's interesting that you... 946 00:38:34,303 --> 00:38:36,802 You're a liaison with the LGBT community, but I think 947 00:38:37,202 --> 00:38:39,918 in the trans community, especially, 948 00:38:40,149 --> 00:38:42,751 there is a stigma around police officers. 949 00:38:42,759 --> 00:38:44,109 And I'm wondering 950 00:38:44,561 --> 00:38:46,176 how do they feel about you coming around? 951 00:38:46,201 --> 00:38:47,746 Do they... Do they feel like you're there to help them, 952 00:38:47,749 --> 00:38:49,503 or do they feel threatened by your presence? 953 00:38:49,652 --> 00:38:51,516 Well, it's always... 954 00:38:52,433 --> 00:38:54,216 have to get past the uniform first. 955 00:38:54,336 --> 00:38:57,721 - Right. - The rainbow is a sigh of relief 956 00:38:57,742 --> 00:38:59,433 just because they know they don't have to go 957 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:01,330 - on the defense so much. - Mm-hmm. 958 00:39:01,351 --> 00:39:02,952 They still have reservations 959 00:39:03,322 --> 00:39:04,640 because I am a police officer, 960 00:39:04,661 --> 00:39:06,060 but the conversation... 961 00:39:06,077 --> 00:39:08,294 The tone of the conversation goes differently. 962 00:39:08,670 --> 00:39:11,150 Atlanta may be taking some steps forward, 963 00:39:11,331 --> 00:39:12,999 but systems are still in place 964 00:39:13,014 --> 00:39:15,400 that keep members of minority communities down. 965 00:39:17,190 --> 00:39:18,714 For my last stop on this trip, 966 00:39:18,746 --> 00:39:20,405 I'm meeting with Ashley Diamond, 967 00:39:20,465 --> 00:39:22,301 who fought, and is still fighting, 968 00:39:22,421 --> 00:39:24,996 for reform within the state's prison system. 969 00:39:25,116 --> 00:39:26,572 How can we go on "Gaycation" 970 00:39:26,593 --> 00:39:29,232 and not have a glass of wine? That wouldn't be good. 971 00:39:29,292 --> 00:39:31,232 That's sort of the setting pretty much every day. 972 00:39:31,292 --> 00:39:32,510 [Laughs] Yeah, right? 973 00:39:32,559 --> 00:39:33,696 Four years ago, 974 00:39:33,746 --> 00:39:36,143 Ashley was convicted of a non-violent crime 975 00:39:36,317 --> 00:39:38,742 and was sent to a series of high-security 976 00:39:38,781 --> 00:39:40,411 male-only prisons. 977 00:39:40,482 --> 00:39:42,397 So, when I arrived at the place in Jackson, 978 00:39:42,404 --> 00:39:45,142 I will never forget the yellow lines and standing on the "X." 979 00:39:45,185 --> 00:39:46,375 I will never forget 980 00:39:46,599 --> 00:39:48,492 the humiliation of being stripped 981 00:39:48,573 --> 00:39:50,409 in front of all those men and having breasts 982 00:39:50,437 --> 00:39:51,716 and everybody looking at me. 983 00:39:51,758 --> 00:39:53,786 I'll never forget when they called my name 984 00:39:53,864 --> 00:39:55,647 off the bus 'cause there's a roster. 985 00:39:55,714 --> 00:39:57,433 But I'll never forget when they said "Ashley Diamond" 986 00:39:57,447 --> 00:39:59,347 and I stood up and they were like, "What the fuck?" 987 00:39:59,692 --> 00:40:01,020 That was their exact words. 988 00:40:01,027 --> 00:40:02,945 What's going on with your hormone treatment 989 00:40:02,970 --> 00:40:04,362 and just that part of the equation? 990 00:40:04,369 --> 00:40:06,202 They were like, "We're not gonna give you that, 991 00:40:06,504 --> 00:40:07,981 but we're gonna..." The state of Georgia 992 00:40:07,999 --> 00:40:09,286 was gonna make a man out of me. 993 00:40:09,422 --> 00:40:10,825 And I was told that often. 994 00:40:10,907 --> 00:40:12,526 And what... what did that do to you? I mean, what... 995 00:40:12,555 --> 00:40:14,217 Oh, my gosh, four years of not having hormones 996 00:40:14,242 --> 00:40:16,497 for the first time in my life, I had facial hair... beard. 997 00:40:16,529 --> 00:40:18,784 I was crying. I was vomiting all the time. 998 00:40:19,654 --> 00:40:22,332 I would never wish that on anybody in the entire world. 999 00:40:22,401 --> 00:40:24,537 I mean, prison, in general, is probably scary for people 1000 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:25,529 - that have not been in prison. - It is. Prison is. 1001 00:40:25,537 --> 00:40:27,123 And that's the thing that I need to emphasize. 1002 00:40:27,243 --> 00:40:29,486 Listen, I literally was housed with a guy in a room 1003 00:40:29,500 --> 00:40:31,403 - who had 235 years. - For what? 1004 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:32,843 A rape. 1005 00:40:32,933 --> 00:40:35,060 You put a 135-pound transgender woman 1006 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,068 in a cell with a 220-something-pound man 1007 00:40:38,082 --> 00:40:39,722 who's not had sex with a woman 1008 00:40:40,028 --> 00:40:42,332 since the last person he raped and killed. 1009 00:40:43,771 --> 00:40:44,855 What do you think's gonna happen? 1010 00:40:44,990 --> 00:40:45,763 Hmm. 1011 00:40:46,371 --> 00:40:47,752 I wasn't in prison 30 days. 1012 00:40:47,763 --> 00:40:50,635 I was raped and beaten, gang raped by six guys and beaten. 1013 00:40:50,877 --> 00:40:52,767 I thought that that was the first... 1014 00:40:52,795 --> 00:40:54,099 you know, that that would change after that, 1015 00:40:54,131 --> 00:40:55,452 but that set the tone. 1016 00:40:55,572 --> 00:40:57,558 I'm understanding, then, that there's some officers 1017 00:40:57,568 --> 00:41:00,324 - that gave you a phone just to ... - An officer let me use his. 1018 00:41:00,538 --> 00:41:02,228 And what was his intention with that? 1019 00:41:02,240 --> 00:41:03,739 To help me get the word out. 1020 00:41:03,765 --> 00:41:05,356 I cannot stress to you 1021 00:41:05,637 --> 00:41:08,411 what a treacherous journey this has been. 1022 00:41:08,770 --> 00:41:12,047 This is about gross human-right violations. 1023 00:41:12,542 --> 00:41:15,268 What you can see is only 25-second snippets 1024 00:41:15,453 --> 00:41:17,484 because this is the only way to get it out. 1025 00:41:17,522 --> 00:41:19,102 When I came into the system, 1026 00:41:19,365 --> 00:41:21,169 this is what I looked like. 1027 00:41:22,745 --> 00:41:24,531 My body shape has changed. 1028 00:41:25,017 --> 00:41:27,571 The way my skin looks and feels. 1029 00:41:28,093 --> 00:41:29,361 Morally and ethically, 1030 00:41:29,403 --> 00:41:31,982 everything that has happened to me is wrong. 1031 00:41:32,699 --> 00:41:35,053 Sexual violence has become a way of life 1032 00:41:35,071 --> 00:41:37,205 in the Georgia Department of Corrections. 1033 00:41:37,341 --> 00:41:39,304 Many of our stories go unheard 1034 00:41:39,424 --> 00:41:41,936 or even never even reach the right ears. 1035 00:41:42,181 --> 00:41:44,330 It's time to stop this now. 1036 00:41:44,373 --> 00:41:46,369 DANIEL: Last year, Ashley filed a case 1037 00:41:46,418 --> 00:41:48,428 against the Georgia Department of Corrections. 1038 00:41:48,616 --> 00:41:50,686 Because of her, the state is reviewing 1039 00:41:50,689 --> 00:41:53,822 their sexual-assault policies, and many transgender inmates 1040 00:41:53,866 --> 00:41:56,878 across the country now have access to their hormones. 1041 00:41:58,021 --> 00:42:00,613 A powerful first step towards reform 1042 00:42:00,731 --> 00:42:04,878 in the ongoing battle for human rights for LGBTQ inmates. 1043 00:42:04,934 --> 00:42:07,296 "Without you, I wouldn't be able to be myself. 1044 00:42:07,452 --> 00:42:09,385 You gave me courage with your courage. 1045 00:42:09,395 --> 00:42:11,321 And you gave me hope inside of me. 1046 00:42:11,473 --> 00:42:13,323 You gave me a fight to fight for." 1047 00:42:13,341 --> 00:42:15,938 - See, that makes me want to cry. - I mean... 1048 00:42:17,079 --> 00:42:19,147 people are really moved by you, you know? 1049 00:42:19,538 --> 00:42:21,464 I've got to fight. Somebody's got to fight. 1050 00:42:21,802 --> 00:42:22,827 Somebody. 1051 00:42:23,630 --> 00:42:26,405 So I encourage whoever that is that may be listening... 1052 00:42:26,418 --> 00:42:27,808 If it's something you need to change, 1053 00:42:27,812 --> 00:42:30,805 the only way it's gonna change is if you change it. 1054 00:42:30,822 --> 00:42:31,954 - Mm-hmm. - And people always say, 1055 00:42:31,981 --> 00:42:34,160 "What can I do? I'm one person." 1056 00:42:35,572 --> 00:42:37,030 It only took one person. 1057 00:42:37,378 --> 00:42:39,864 Look at history. It always takes one person. 1058 00:42:41,603 --> 00:42:44,299 - Plug it over here. - This is your studio? 1059 00:42:44,306 --> 00:42:45,861 - Uh-huh. - It's nice. 1060 00:42:45,875 --> 00:42:48,390 This is the studio where all the dreams happen. 1061 00:42:48,423 --> 00:42:52,352 ♪ We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain ♪ 1062 00:42:52,380 --> 00:42:55,845 ♪ We jumped, never asking why ♪ 1063 00:42:55,867 --> 00:43:00,167 - Where's the mic go? - ♪ We kissed I fell under your spell ♪ 1064 00:43:00,195 --> 00:43:04,212 ♪ A love no one can deny ♪ 1065 00:43:04,725 --> 00:43:08,785 ♪ Don't you ever say I just walked away ♪ 1066 00:43:08,795 --> 00:43:11,055 - ♪ I will always love you... ♪ - ♪ Always want you ♪ 1067 00:43:11,072 --> 00:43:12,759 Oh, "want you." 1068 00:43:12,797 --> 00:43:16,798 ♪ I can't live a lie, running for my life ♪ 1069 00:43:16,831 --> 00:43:19,989 ♪ I will always want you ♪ 1070 00:43:20,028 --> 00:43:21,820 Oh, this is your verse. You do the first one. 1071 00:43:21,842 --> 00:43:25,254 ♪ I came in like a wrecking ball ♪ 1072 00:43:25,432 --> 00:43:29,227 ♪ I never hit so hard in love ♪ 1073 00:43:29,255 --> 00:43:33,178 ♪ All I wanted was to break your walls ♪ 1074 00:43:33,253 --> 00:43:37,637 ♪ All you ever did was wreck me ♪ 1075 00:43:38,337 --> 00:43:40,307 DANIEL: Southern values are at the core 1076 00:43:40,326 --> 00:43:42,225 of what it means to be American. 1077 00:43:42,489 --> 00:43:44,714 The rebellion, self-determination, 1078 00:43:44,770 --> 00:43:46,535 and disruption of its history 1079 00:43:46,574 --> 00:43:50,386 is reflected in the LGBTQ community in the present. 1080 00:43:50,581 --> 00:43:53,888 Throughout my trip, I've experienced Southern hospitality, 1081 00:43:53,900 --> 00:43:55,664 passion, and charm. 1082 00:43:55,784 --> 00:43:57,301 And through the people I've met, 1083 00:43:57,318 --> 00:44:00,214 I've seen what it means to be queer and Southern, 1084 00:44:00,264 --> 00:44:02,223 and it's tough as nails. 1085 00:44:02,306 --> 00:44:03,513 Boo-yah! 1086 00:44:03,971 --> 00:44:05,631 We'll be here all week, people. 1087 00:44:05,903 --> 00:44:08,850 - Synced and corrected by chamallow - - www.addic7ed.com -