June is LGBTQ Pride Month, and features the Chicago Pride Parade at the end of the month. Leading up to it, you can enjoy a diverse slate of WTTW programming of stories of identity, acceptance, struggle, and art, throughout the whole month.
American Masters – Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll
Friday, June 2 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
Little Richard is a legend from the golden era of rock, a cultural lightning rod who influenced some of rock music's most distinguished icons. This portrait of the “King and Queen of Rock and Roll” explores his far-reaching influence as well as his advocacy for the rights of Black artists in the music industry.
American Masters – Keith Haring: Street Art Boy
Saturday, June 10 at 10:00 am on WTTW Prime
Explore the definitive story of international art sensation Keith Haring, who blazed a trail through the art scene of '80s New York and revolutionized the worlds of pop culture and fine art.
Watch an archival WTTW documentary about Haring and a mural he made in Chicago with hundreds of students.
POV: The Gospel of Eureka
Saturday, June 10 at 2:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to dismantle stereotypes in Arkansas.
POV: Shorts: Becoming Myself
Saturday, June 10 at 3:30 pm on WTTW Prime
Two shorts focusing on young adults center on identity and connection
American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts
Saturday, June 10 at 4:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Joe Papp, founder of The Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park and producer of groundbreaking plays like Hair, A Chorus Line and for colored girls, created a "theater of inclusion" based on the belief that great art is for everyone.
Independent Lens: No Straight Lines
Saturday, June 10 at 5:30 pm on WTTW Prime
From DIY underground comix scene to mainstream acceptance, meet five queer comics artists, including several with ties to Chicago, whose uncensored commentary on LGBTQ+ life left no topic untouched and explored art as a tool for social change.
Go Figure: The Randy Gardner Story
Sunday, June 11 at 10:00 am on WTTW Prime
Together with his Olympic partner Tai Babilonia, two-time Olympian Randy Gardner formed the iconic figure skating pairs team known as 'Tai and Randy.' The film shares his quest to finally come to terms with his true identity so that he can be a light to others.
True Colors: LGBTQ+ Our Stories, Our Songs
Friday, June 16 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
Celebrate Pride Month with music from Indigo Girls, Billy Gilman, Morgxn, Peppermint, Jujubee, Alexis Michelle, Trey Pearson, Breanna Sinclaire, Andre de Shields, and more, along with real-life stories of hope hosted by Jeopardy's Amy Schneider.
Unidad: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos
Sunday, June 18 at 11:00 pm on WTTW
Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU), the greater Los Angeles area's first major Queer Latin@ organization, was founded in 1981, only a dozen years after the Stonewall rebellion and only a couple of years before the HIV/AIDS pandemic began to ravage LGBTQ communities.
Prideland
Tuesday, June 20 at 8:00 pm on WTTW and Wednesday, June 21 at 8:00 am on WTTW Prime
Actor Dyllon Burnside journeys across the South to meet diverse members of the LGBTQ community.
Independent Lens: Mama Bears
Friday, June 23 at 8:00 pm on WTTW and Monday, June 26 at 12:00 pm on WTTW Prime
Although they grew up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians, these moms are now willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their kids safe-even if it challenges their belief systems and rips apart their worlds.
Penny: Champion of the Marginalized
Friday, June 23 at 9:30 pm on WTTW
Penny Cooper is a celebrated criminal defense attorney, art collector, supporter of female artists, and protector of the underdog who has found herself at the center of dramatic social progress for women.
American Masters: Ballerina Boys
Sunday, June 25 at 8:00 am on WTTW Prime
Discover Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocks), an all-male company that for 45 years has offered audiences their passion for ballet classics mixed with exuberant comedy. With every step they poke fun at their strictly gendered art form.
It's a Match
Sunday, June 25 at 3:00 pm on WTTW and 7:00 am on WTTW Prime
After meeting on a dating website, Alana learns that Lori is a candidate to give her a kidney.
For the Love of Friends
Sunday, June 25 at 4:00 pm on WTTW
As a lead-up to a play based on the same story, this documentary shows the life and activism of Brent Nicholson Earle, who in 1986 embarked on a 10,000-mile run around the perimeter of the United States to draw attention to the plight of AIDS patients.
American Experience: Casa Susanna
Tuesday, June 27 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
In the 1950s and 60s, when failure to wear gender-appropriate clothing was illegal across most of the country, a community of cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Named after its matriarch, Casa Susanna provided community and validation for its guests.
