Brave Spaces explores courageous LGBTQ+ stories of triumph in spaces and because of them. Host Devin-Norelle (ze|zim) explores LGBTQ+ stories of triumph, transformation, and celebration in Brave Spaces. From book clubs and sports leagues to places of worship and the great outdoors, Devin-Norelle meets courageous heroes who, in the face of efforts to exclude Queer voices, are standing up to centuries of hate in order to shape a world where love always wins. The series is hosted by Devin-Norelle, a model, trans advocate and writer. See the series playlist above. The series is part of the PBS Voices collection in the PBS Digital Studios. Or on WXXI’s PBS Player site.
LGBTQIA+
Casa Susanna On-Demand
American Experience: Casa Susanna: In the 1950s and ’60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves.
Available to watch on-demand through 6/26/26.
Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll • On-Demand
Experience the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of Little Richard.
Watch On-Demand through 7/20/2024: American Masters – Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll
American Masters – Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll explores the music icon’s influence and advocacy for the rights of Black artists and features interviews with Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Big Freedia and more.
A fearless pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll who broke the color barrier in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally,” Little Richard defined a genre and inspired generations by defying societal expectations. Charting the meteoric rise of the artist who counted The Beatles and the Rolling Stones as his opening acts, American Masters – Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll provides an intimate exploration of the renowned, electrifying and multifaceted individual.
Becoming Frida Kahlo • WXXI-TV
This final episode focuses on Frida Kahlo’s later life, including her affair with Leon Trotsky, her trip to Paris on the eve of World War II and her return to Mexico where she divorces then remarries Diego Rivera before her death.
Becoming Frida Kahlo airs Tuesday, July 2 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
See the major personal and political events of her life, including her stormy and devoted relationship with artist Diego Rivera, whom she married not once but twice. Watch On-Demand Here
This film is presented as part of Move to Include™ , a national initiative in partnership with WXXI and The Golisano Foundation that uses the power of public media to promote inclusion. Click here to learn more.
Rock the Boat On-Demand
From Disco: Soundtrack of A Revolution Series: Rock the Boat explores the origin of a global music phenomenon born among gay and Black communities coming together in apartments and basement bars in 1970s New York, where dancefloors became a platform in their battle for visibility and inclusion.
Available to watch by 7/16/24
Our League On-Demand
Following an extended hiatus, Michelle Guzowski takes a risk by returning to her favorite local bowling alley in the Ohio Rust Belt, after coming out to fellow bowlers as a trans woman. While the alley’s new owners made it seem a welcoming space, the changes are hard for old-school bowlers.
Available to watch by 6/15/27
Senior Prom On-Demand
For so many high-schoolers, prom is a rite of passage in all of its love-filled, well-coiffed, abundantly photographed glory. But for generations of LGBTQ+ youth, prom has been emblematic of an exclusion from a world they could not experience as their authentic selves.
Available to watch by 6/21/26
No Straight Lines On-Demand
When Alison Bechdel received a coveted MacArthur Award for her best-selling graphic memoir Fun Home, it heralded the acceptance of LGBTQ+ comics in American culture. From DIY underground comix scene to mainstream acceptance, meet five smart and funny queer comics artists whose uncensored commentary left no topic untouched and explored art as a tool for social change.
Available to watch by 7/1/24