YouTube's 'State Of Pride' To Kick Off Month Of LGBTQ Inclusive Programming

Follow Raymond Braun as he takes a cross-country road trip to better understand how young LGBTQ people interpret the history -- and future -- of the movement.

YouTube personality and activist Raymond Braun teamed up with filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman to explore “the significance, controversy and meaning” of the LGBTQ rights movement for a compelling new documentary.

State of Pride,” which debuted at South by Southwest in March, follows Braun as he travels to Salt Lake City, Utah, San Francisco, Calif., and Tuscaloosa, Ala. In each of those cities, he meets with young LGBTQ people who share their wildly different perceptions of what June, Pride Month, means to their generation. Among those interviewed is pop singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, whose albums “Blue Neighbourhood” and “Bloom” have made him a queer icon for the millennial set.

“Since Stonewall, Pride has been a looking glass to the entire LGBTQ community. So I want to know what it means to young people today,” Braun explains in the film’s trailer, which can be found above. “As long as LGBTQ people are facing any form of discrimination, Pride is still relevant.”

Rob Epstein, Raymond Braun and Jeffrey Friedman of the film "State of Pride," which premiered at South by Southwest in March.
Rob Epstein, Raymond Braun and Jeffrey Friedman of the film "State of Pride," which premiered at South by Southwest in March.
Robby Klein via Getty Images

Portal A, the digital studio which developed “State of Pride,” said in a press release that the film’s release weeks ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising ― seen as the symbolic start of the modern LGBTQ rights movement ― “makes it all the more special.”

“State of Pride” is the first of three feature-length documentaries set to debut on YouTube in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month in June. “Stonewall Outloud,” featuring featuring audio from StoryCorps founder Dave Isay’s 1989 audio documentary, “Remembering Stonewall” and directed and produced by World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, will debut June 26. 2017’s “This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous,” exploring the life of the eponymous transgender icon, will be available on her official YouTube channel from June 5―30.

All three films will be available on the video platform’s free, ad-supported site.

“State of Pride” will debut May 29.

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