Pride Month Offers New Programming from PBS SoCal and KCET Celebrating the History and Accomplishments of LGBTQ+ Community
Press Contact
Allison Gray
agray@pbssocal.org
747.201.5298
kcet.org/Pride and pbssocal.org/Pride
Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal | KCET get extended access through PBS Passport.
Los Angeles, Calif. – May 23, 2023 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, proudly honor Pride Month with a robust programming slate of LGBTQ+ content in June. Both stations will showcase a lineup of enlightening programs to celebrate the rainbow of visionaries, advocates and unsung heroes who have inspired the world to see love without labels by premiering new documentaries starting with DEAR IKE: LOST LETTERS TO A TEEN IDOL, an animated documentary from filmmaker Dion Labriola who recounts his childhood quest to contact his teen idol Ike Eisenmann. The film airs Thurs., June 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 3 at 9 p.m. on KCET.
Later that night, PBS SoCal will host the world broadcast premiere of UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS, the story of the Los Angeles area’s first major Queer Latin@ organization. The film chronicles events at a pivotal time in the history of LGBTQ equality, women’s rights and civil rights movements. UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS airs Thurs., June 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET. A local premiere event will be held on Tues., June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Los Angeles Film School that is open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Eventbrite link here.
Additional content from PBS includes AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Casa Susanna,” the story of an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men in the ‘50s and ‘60s who found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. A preview screening and discussion will be held on Wed., June 14 at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles that is open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Eventbrite link here.
PBS SoCal and KCET’s month-long lineup also includes AMERICAN MASTERS “Little Richard” debuting Fri., June 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 7 at 9 p.m. on KCET which follows the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of an American icon. Viewers can also watch the new INDEPENDENT LENS documentary “Mama Bears” on Tues., June 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 24 at 11 p.m. on KCET featuring mothers who were previously fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGBTQ+ people, that are now willing to risk losing friends, family and faith communities to champion their kids.
Select content slated to air during Pride Month is listed as follows (*schedule subject to change):
DEAR IKE: LOST LETTERS TO A TEEN IDOL – Thurs., June 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 3 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!
In the feature-length animated documentary, Los Angeles filmmaker Dion Labriola recounts his all-consuming childhood quest to contact his teen idol, Ike Eisenmann (of Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain fame). The goal of his mission: to ask Ike to star in an animated science-fiction epic that he was forever developing in an overstuffed three-ring binder. After an exhaustive string of failed attempts, a magical turn of events points Dion directly toward his goal in the most unexpected of ways... some 40 years later.
UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS – Thurs., June 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!
Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos is a documentary film about the Los Angeles organization Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU). Founded in 1981, GLLU is one of the first major queer Latin@ organizations in the country. The film follows the group's history and activism, from its early days fighting for AIDS awareness and LGBTQ rights. The film features interviews with GLLU members, activists, and community leaders, as well as archival footage of the group's work. Unidad is a powerful and inspiring story of community, resilience, and the power of love and activism.
L.A.: A QUEER HISTORY “Culture & Criminalization” - Thurs., June 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 10 p.m. on KCET
Early Hollywood becomes a Queer destination for people wanting a new life. Early LGBTQ culture and community begins to take shape just as the post WW2 era sparks widespread criminalization.
L.A.: A QUEER HISTORY “Protests & Parades” - Thurs., June 1 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 21 at 10 p.m. on KCET
Despite adversity, gay and lesbian organizing begins. Publications, protests and uprisings spring up, leading to the country’s first Pride Parade, LGBTQ Social Services, the first "Gay City" and an eventual national Civil Rights Movement.
AMERICAN MASTERS “Little Richard” – Fri., June 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 7 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!
Experience the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of Little Richard. 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.
MIRIAM AND ALAN: LOST IN SCOTLAND – Mon., June 5 at 10 p.m. on KCET
Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming begin a journey from their once mutual home of Glasgow moving up the West coast, across the far Highlands, and back down the East side, as the duo meet a host of fascinating characters.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Mama Bears” – Tues., June 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 24 at 11 p.m. on KCET - All New!
Although the film’s subjects grew up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGTBQ+ people, these mothers are now willing to risk losing friends, family and faith communities to champion their kids—even if it challenges their belief systems and rips apart their worlds. They call one another “mama bears” because of the ferocity with which they fight for their children’s rights.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Casa Susanna” – Tues., June 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 28 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!
In the 1950s and ’60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as and living as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those who visited the house, the film provides a look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live out of the shadows.
KCET and PBS SoCal’s commitment to sharing diverse and inclusive stories will continue in additional digital content exploring the impacts made by the LGBTQ community in Southern California and beyond at kcet.org/Pride and pbssocal.org/Pride.
Join the conversation on social media by tagging #PrideMonth
About PBS SoCal and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.