Artisans, alumni celebrate PRIDE festival

GLBT films helped local resident Kyle McKay understand his sexuality when he was in high school.

From Jeffersonville, Ind., McKay said it took his parents a few years to understand his sexual preference. His father, especially, had a hard time accepting his lifestyle.

“When I came out to them it was kind of an argument or debate,” McKay said. “Since then, they’ve been pretty accepting that I can make my own decisions, but it was kind of a struggle with my faith. When I grew up, I used to go to church. Now, I’m not
really religious.”

This weekend, McKay will be one of hundreds of participants at the PRIDE Film Festival at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. For the fourth year, the festival will coincide with the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association Celebration Weekend.

Highlights include a reception and silent auction at Grazie! Italian Eatery, a social at IU’s Lilly Library and a Sunday brunch, at which the inaugural GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to alumnus Shane Windmeyer, executive director of the national organization Campus Pride.

Windmeyer is the national coordinator of Stop the Hate, an organization that supports universities in combatting hate on campus.

“The GLBTAA remains one of our most active alumni groups, and this is an event that many look forward to every year,” J T. Forbes, executive director of the IU Alumni Association, said in a press release.

“Our GLBT alumni truly make this a festive weekend, one to both reflect back and look forward to the many wonderful memories and accomplishments made at our Hoosier home.”

Danielle McClelland, executive director of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater said, “new arrivals and that ever-shifting group of people is why the Film Festival keeps happening.”

Beyond alumni, however, she said support from the Bloomington community has allowed this Festival to grow.

McKay said GLBT films helped him identify and made him feel like he wasn’t alone.

Last year, he volunteered at the festival to give back to the community, and he said he believes this weekend’s festival could be an educational experience.

“Being in this generation, and coming out at the time I did, short films and feature films were a tremendous help for me,” he said. “I would spend hours on Netflix just watching GLBT films and learning about our culture and GLBT cultures in other places.” 

One of McKay’s favorite films was “Latter Days,” a story of a Mormon missionary and a student in L.A. who fell in love.

“It was really helpful to see people with no experience in romance, who didn’t know each other, and weren’t comfortable with each other,” McKay said.

“To see that develop and how it was acceptable in a real-life scenario, it was support as well as entertainment value.”

The film festival demonstrates the importance of diversity and acceptance while honoring individual artistic expression.

Celebrated by residents with a variety of sexual orientations and backgrounds, McKay said he believes the festival will “flourish for years to come” because residents are banding together in appreciation of the arts.

“For Bloomington to be able to put on this festival and promote filmmakers from around the world is not only essential to the city and the GLBT community here but to people in all parts of the world,” McKay said.