PBS Celebrates LGBTQ+ Stories During Pride Month 2022

PBS Publicity

• Published on June 1, 2022

AMERICAN MASTERS "Joe Papp in Five Acts" poster.
Paul Davis

Featured Programming Includes the Premiere of AMERICAN MASTERS “Joe Papp in Five Acts” in Addition to Streaming and PBS Digital Studios Offerings

Arlington, VA; June 1, 2022 – In celebration of Pride Month, PBS will present an engaging slate of programming in June that spotlights LGBTQ+ stories and voices on both broadcast and digital platforms.

Premiering Friday, June 3, at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video app, AMERICAN MASTERS “Joe Papp in Five Acts” tells the story of this indomitable, streetwise champion of the arts. As founder of The Public Theater, Free Shakespeare in the Park and producer of groundbreaking plays like Hair, A Chorus Line and for colored girls…, Papp believed great art was for everyone, not just a privileged few. A cultural change agent for more than 50 years, Papp’s stages held up a mirror to society, with work that reflected the reality of people’s lives.

Encore presentations of programs related to the LGBTQ+ experience include:

AMERICAN MASTERS “Ballerina Boys”: For over 45 years, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocks), an all-male ballet company and international dance sensation, has shared their signature style and message of equality, inclusion and social justice with audiences around the world. The men perform classical ballet en pointe and in drag, challenging the art form’s rigid gender norms as they mix rigorous technique with comedy and satire.
AMERICAN MASTERS “James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket”: Using rarely seen archival footage from nine different countries, the film melds intimate interviews and eloquent public speeches with cinéma vérité glimpses of Baldwin, as well as scenes from his extraordinary funeral service in December 1987.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Real Boy”: This film is the coming-of-age story of Bennett, a trans teenager with dreams of musical stardom. During the first two years of his gender transition, as Bennett works to repair a strained relationship with his family, he is taken under the wing of his friend and musical hero, celebrated trans folk singer Joe Stevens.
POV “Out in the Night”: In New York City, a group of African-American lesbians were violently threatened by a man on the street. The women fought back and were later charged with gang assault and attempted murder. “Out in the Night” examines the sensational case and the women's uphill battle, revealing the role that race, gender identity and sexuality play in our criminal justice system.
PRIDELAND: This program follows queer actor Dyllón Burnside on a journey to discover how LGBTQ+ Americans are finding ways to live authentically and proudly in the modern South.

PBS curated a collection on PBS.org that celebrates Pride Month with titles premiering this month, specially featured encores and digital-first content.

Additional streaming programs that explore the stories, history and voices of LGBTQ+ creators can be viewed on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can also view many programs via Passport (contact your local PBS station for details). These programs, highlighted below and in a curated collection for Pride Month on the PBS Video App and PBS.org, may also air in select markets (check local listings):

PBS Digital Studios also offers a variety of LGBTQ+-focused programs, including:

About PBS Digital Studios 
PBS Digital Studios produces original, digital programming for YouTube and Facebook Watch, designed to engage, enlighten and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 29 million subscribers, generating an average of 50 million views a month, and has acquired more than 3 billion lifetime views. Currently, the Studio has 18 original series streaming online, including eight series from PBS member stations. Series include the Webby Award-winning It’s Okay to Be Smart, Physics Girl and Crash Course, as well as popular series such as BrainCraft and PBS Space Time . 

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

-PBS-

CONTACT:

PJ Feinstein, pjfeinstein@pbs.org

Meredith Wohl, mawohl@pbs.org

For images and additional up-to-date information on these and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at pbs.org/pressroom.