Seventh-Gay Adventists, the new character-driven documentary about the experiences, challenges, and spiritual journeys of three gay and lesbian members of a conservative denomination, has been winning film festival awards all around the country. The film follows the raw and moving journeys of the three as they confront deep questions and struggle to find a place where they can integrate identity, love, and belief.
As a thank you, Seventh-Gay Adventists is available to watch for free over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
It's also part of the film's vision to create safe conversation spaces where families can lean into listening and loving better through the lens of real people and real stories. While the film is set in the context of the Adventist church, the fastest growing denomination in the U.S., it plays well to diverse audiences even if they can't tell their Mormons from their Methodists.
The film examines how the three gay and lesbian Seventh-day Adventists wrestle with how to reconcile their faith, identity, and sexuality. One young man spent five years in "ex-gay" therapy trying to become straight, while another was an Adventist pastor in Brazil who was fired for being gay and is wondering if he can ever pastor again. The third is a lesbian mom from the Midwest who wants her daughters to grow up with her beliefs, even though she knows her church might not accept their family.
"I can't imagine a better alignment with our goals for this film than to help families enter into a more understanding and honest conversation through the power of stories," Daneen Akers, co-producer/director says. "A lot of people are ready to see a change in their families and faith communities. They might not have all of the answers or a fully footnoted theological treatise, but they're ready to step into unconditional love without caveats and see their LGBT kids, friends, and neighbors treated equally. They're ready to be known again by their love."
To see the film for free, simply go to http://buy.sgamovie.com/buy anytime between Wednesday, Nov. 27th through Sunday night, December 1st and input the coupon code watchfree to redeem your copy. It's DRM-free, so you can sync it to your phone, iPad or other device to share.