American Documentary

Pride Month Celebrated with New Films on WORLD Channel

Additional programming will be dedicated to the month-long effort to showcase stories of the LGBTQ+ community

Boston, MA (May 24, 2021) – WORLD Channel, public media’s best sources for diverse news and documentary programming, will honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month this June with the premiere of America ReFramed: Jack & Yaya, as well as additional Pride-themed programming.

Since 1970, the LGBTQ+ community has used June as a month to remember and reflect on the long journey to arrive at this moment in time. While the U.S. government has officially designated June LGBT Pride Month, many struggles within the community persist and go unnoticed. WORLD Channel seeks to shed light on these challenges by sharing stories from diverse voices of LGBTQ+ individuals.

“WORLD Channel is committed to elevating the voices of marginalized groups and peoples. During Pride month, it’s essential that we highlight the unique stories and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Chris Hastings, Executive Producer of WORLD Channel at GBH in Boston. “Despite growing acceptance and understanding, homophobia and transphobia still exist at an alarming rate across the globe. By sharing these stories, WORLD Channel hopes to educate people on the issues and further the growth of understanding for individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.”

In addition to month-long thematic programming, viewers can watch the exclusive premiere of America ReFramed’s Jack & Yaya on WORLD Channel:

• America ReFramed: Jack & Yaya
  Jack and Yaya met at ages three and two through their shared backyard fence. They spent their childhood together, building forts and burning trash cans in their small hometown in South Jersey. From a young age, Yaya and Jack saw each other as they were, a girl and a boy, even though most of the world didn’t see them that way. As they grew older, they supported each other as they both came out as transgender. Jack & Yaya premieres on Tuesday, June 22nd at 8:00 p.m. ET on WORLD Channel

America ReFramed: Jack & Yaya will be available for streaming on worldchannel.org on June 22. Additional films highlighting coming out stories, the history of the Stonewall riots, and many other Pride topics will stream throughout the month, including:

• America ReFramed: Little Miss Westie
  A loving and insightful portrait of two transgender siblings and their parents. As the children begin living in their authentic genders, the family navigates puberty, school, and the Lil’ Miss Westie Pageant. Little Miss Westie can be viewed online & on the PBS app from 6/15 through 7/15

• AfroPop: Mama Gloria
  Gloria Allen, a trailblazing Black transgender activist who started a school for homeless trans youth, is aging with joy and grace. This is the story of a mother’s love – a love that director Luchina Fisher has for her transgender daughter, Gia. Mama Gloria can be streamed online, on YouTube & the PBS app.

• America ReFramed: Vision Portraits
  Director Rodney Evans ponders how the deterioration of his vision will impact his life and work as a filmmaker. He embarks on a quest to learn how other artists have continued to create and how their journeys might serve as inspiration for his own. Vision Portraits can be viewed online & on the PBS app until June 30

Check local listings for films and airdates. Join @worldchannel as we share #PrideStories on our social conversations.

For more information about these films or any other, please visit www.WORLDchannel.org/ or follow WORLD Channel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About America ReFramed

America ReFramed is a co-production of the WORLD Channel and American Documentary, Inc. The series curates a diverse selection of independent documentaries that brings to national audiences compelling stories which illuminate the changing contours of our ever-evolving country. Viewers will be immersed in stories that span the spectrum of American life, from the streets of towns big and small to its exurbs and country roads. The documentary series presents an array of personal voices and experiences through which we learn from our past, understand our present and are challenged to seek new frameworks for America’s future. America ReFramed is the recipient of a Peabody Award and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for broadcast journalism. The series has earned several Christopher, GRACIE, Telly and Cine Golden Eagle Awards, as well as multiple nominations for Emmy, Independent Documentary Association and Imagen Awards.

America ReFramed Series Credits

Executive Producers: Justine Nagan, Chris Hastings, Chris White
Supervising Producer: Carmen L. Vicencio

Follow America ReFramed on Facebook and Twitter
@americareframed @worldchannel

America ReFramed Co-Producers

American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia arts organization dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation. AmDoc is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

WORLD Channel shares the best of public media in news, documentaries and programming. WORLD’s original series examine the issues and amplify the voices of those often ignored by mainstream media. The multicast 24/7 channel helps audiences understand conflicts, movements and cultures from around the globe. Its original work has won a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont- Columbia Award, a National News and Documentary Emmy Award and many others honoring diversity of content and makers. WORLD is carried by 189 member stations in markets representing over 73% of US TV households. Funding for WORLD Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts and Artworks. WORLD is produced by GBH in partnership with WNET and is distributed by American Public Television (APT). Find out more at WORLDChannel.org.