theBUZZ Features
For They Know Not What They Do – religion vs human acceptance
From the director/producer of FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO comes a new film, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO, a powerful exploration of the intersection of religion, sexual orientation and gender identity in America.
The film features four families of faith including Rob and Linda Robertson, who were encouraged by their evangelical church family to put their son, Ryan, in conversion therapy; David & Sally McBride, life-long Presbyterians who were shocked when their youngest boy came out to them as a transgender woman; Victor Baez & Annette Febo, whose Catholic tradition and Puerto Rican upbringing greatly concerned their gay son; and Harold & Coleen Porcher, a mixed-race couple whose child endured self-harm before their parents’ acceptance enabled them to come to terms with their gender.
Alongside these family stories of faith, rejection, validation, tragedy and triumph, the film weaves together unique perspectives from religious leaders. Through love, reconciliation, and acceptance, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO takes us on a journey of understanding what connects us all and gives us the courage to embrace each other.
ABOUT THE FAMILIES
The Robertson Family Linda & Rob Robertson are evangelical Christians who live in a suburb of Seattle, Wash., where they enjoy long bike rides, lots of Starbucks coffee and a thriving, involved community that cares about making a real difference in the world. Linda’s passion and prayer is that Ryan’s life and death will matter – and that the mistakes they made, as conservative evangelical parents with a young gay son, will serve to help someone else learn to really love their children, just because they breathe.
The McBride Family
Dave and Sally McBride and their three sons were the all-American family living in Wilmington, Delaware. When their oldest son told them he was gay, they adjusted. Then their youngest child came out as a transgender woman, saying simply that she’s always known herself to be Sarah. Sarah McBride then made national headlines when she came out publicly as transgender while serving as student body president at American University. She soon became the first transgender intern at the White House and continues to shatter stereotypes and to break new ground.
The Báez Febo Family
Victor Báez, Sr. & Annette Febo were middle school sweethearts in Barranquita, Puerto Rico before they married in 1987. The family moved to Florida for Victor, Sr.’s construction job but after he graduated from high school, Victor Jr., moved back to Puerto Rico to live with his Catholic grandmother. When his grandma soon discovered that Victor Jr. was gay, she banned him from her house and outed him to his mom & dad…his greatest nightmare.
The Porcher Family
Coleen and Harold Porcher were so excited when their daughter was born. There had been challenges starting their family, but now they were on their way, and they couldn’t have been more thrilled. Growing up, their girl was a real tomboy who loved snakes and insects, but they didn’t think much of it. But in eighth grade when she came to Coleen and Harold, and asked, “could you love me even if I were a boy?”…their lives changed forever.
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Daniel Karslake is an award-winning American director and producer whose highly acclaimed work deals with pressing issues of national and international social justice. Prior to FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO, he completed EVERY THREE SECONDS, a film examining practical solutions for global poverty and hunger; Karslake began this project as a visiting scholar at Stanford University. Before that, Karslake directed and produced his feature documentary about the intersection of religion and homosexuality, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. It premiered in the American Documentary Competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and the film went on to win 10+ festival audience awards, the GLAAD Media Award for Best Documentary, and was shortlisted for a 2008 Academy Award. FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO had a successful 140-market theatrical run before it premiered on multiple streaming platforms and was released on DVD. It has been translated into more than twenty languages, and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY listed the movie in 2010 as one of five documentaries that has “changed the world.” Karslake lives in Berlin with his husband Russ and their two cats, Rocky and Fred.
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.