Film: The Stroll

Celebrate International Trans Day of Visibility by watching The Stroll and two short films by members of Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA). The Stroll (Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker, 2023, 84 min.) documents trans history in New York City’s Meatpacking District during the 1980s and ’90s. Told from the perspective of trans sex workers who lived and worked in the area, the film recounts the violence, policing, and gentrification that led to a movement for transgender rights.

Atlantic is a Sea of Bones (Tourmaline, 2017, 7 min.), titled after a Lucille Clifton poem, follows NYC-based performer Egyptt LaBejia from the 1980s to the  2000s. MnM (Twiggy Pucci Garcon, 2023, 15 min.) is an exuberant portrait of chosen sisters Mermaid and Milan, two emerging runway divas in the drag ballroom community. Celebrating their joy, siblinghood, and unapologetic personas, the film explores the power and beauty of being nonbinary in a community that prizes gender “realness.”

After the films, stick around for a conversation among directors and stars of the films. This program is made possible through collaboration with Jordyn Jay, Founder and Executive Director of BTFA.

Register in advance and pay as you wish (suggested admission: $10). Your contribution supports our dynamic public programs. Member tickets are free. Not a Member? Join today!

For access needs, such as ASL interpretation, email us at [email protected].

Image caption and credit: Kristen Lovell, Stefanie and Elizabeth Rivera in The Stroll (Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker, 2023, 84 min.). (Photo: courtesy of HBO)