Faith, identity, and sexuality collide in this raw and moving documentary about the challenges and spiritual journeys of three Seventh-day Adventists who love God and their church and are also gay.
Caught in the collision of two worlds, three gay and lesbian Seventh-day Adventists wrestle with how to reconcile their faith, identity, and sexuality.
It is a way of life, a community not easily left.
We hope seeing Seventh-Gay Adventists: A Film about Faith on the Margins will help you enter into the stories, challenges, and spiritual journeys of those who are often not allowed to speak. But it is about listening to a demographic in most churches that is often talked about or at but very seldom with.
It was a profound experience; and, somewhere along the way, a different film emerged. So we just focused on stories, which we felt we were missing, and the film is now entirely character driven.
The film is set in the context of the Seventh-day Adventist church, which is currently the fastest-growing denomination in the United States (with an even faster growing international presence).
As Sharon Groves from the Human Rights Campaign said, "This is a beautiful and compelling film...anyone who has felt that their faith and sexuality are in conflict will instantly get this film." And for those who can't tell their Adventists from their Mormons, this film offers a chance to hear a unique perspective from those who have often paid a very high price to keep their faith.
Being a gay Christian isn’t easy, but being a gay Seventh-day Adventist is an especially difficult path because Adventism, to most, is more than a belief system; it’s also a close-knit community of belonging.
Discovering you are gay in this community often means loss and exile from all that has been home. We felt we needed to do something to help make our world and our faith community a better place for our daughter.
We started out making a more classic “issue” film and spent three months on a road trip around the country when our daughter was a baby, interviewing theologians, pastors, psychologists, and other experts.
None of this would be possible without the incredible grassroots community that continues to make it possible. Mail it to:
Seventh-Gay Adventists FSP-1195
c/o San Francisco Film Society
ATTN: Finance Department
39 Mesa Street, Ste 110
San Francisco, CA 94129
Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and engagement.
We realized that the traditional issue film wouldn’t move the dialogue forward in any productive way--it would just promote more debate.
In many ways tangible and intangible, being Adventist is much more than subscribing to a set of beliefs. One young man spent five years in "ex-gay" therapy trying to become straight, but now he's falling in love with another man and wondering if that can be okay. And being Adventist is about much more than a set of beliefs--it's a close-knit community not easily left.
Donate
Help us continue to share stories, start conversations, and connect people who care to make a difference in their homes and faith communities.
Seventh-Gay Adventists, the documentary, Enough Room at the Table, the companion outreach film, the Outspoken film series, and the upcoming illustrated children's book Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints are all completely independent, non-for-profit projects that are funded almost entirely by tax-deductible donations from individuals who are committed to the vision of sharing stories and making love and listening a priority in their homes, churches, and communities.
Your contributions are fully tax-deductible (and can be made anonymously if needed) thanks to the fiscal sponsorship of the San Francisco Film Society.
This is how change happens. Committed people doing their part to slowly but surely make a difference.
We think you'll experience that this isn't about a theological debate. Thank-you!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are three things you can do to help:
- Make a monthly or one-time, secure and tax-deductible contribution of $25, $50, $100, $300, (or any other amount) right now. Please consider making a recurring monthly donation in an amount you can sustainable afford to contribute to help us be able to plan better and focus our energy on producing instead of fundraising.
- Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch with this conversation.
Share this with your friends, family, and circle of influence why this conversation matters to you, and invite them to participate.
If you'd like to donate by mail (you'll receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation by mail also), please make the check out to the San Francisco Film Society, and put Seventh-Gay Adventists or FSP-1195 in the memo line.
This feature-length documentary follows their raw and moving journeys as they wrestle with deep questions and struggle to find a place where they can integrate identity, love, and belief.
The trailer for Seventh-Gay Adventists produced and directed by Daneen Akers and Stephen Eyer.
“This film is, hands down, the best bridge-building film in this genre that I’ve seen.”
“The movie, which simply tells stories rather than taking an advocacy stance, is powerful.
This film is meant to be a with space, a chance to listen and walk in someone else's shoes for a while, even if you don't completely understand or agree. As Thoreau asked, "Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?"
Watch
Seventh-Gay Adventists
Stream the entire film NOW for free.
Available in English (CC), Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Faith, identity, and sexuality collide in this raw and moving documentary about the challenges and spiritual journeys of three Seventh-day Adventists who love God and their church and are also gay.
Buy the digital version on VHX/Vimeo
If you believe in the power of listening and want to support this work, please consider making a one-time donation or become a monthly supporter.
The voices in this film are the ones least heard in the often contentious and shallow debate that's too often cast as God vs gays.