We're Here

>> Shangela: SELMA FEELS TO ME

LIKE ONE OF THE MOST

FROZEN-IN-TIME TOWNS THAT WE

VISITED SO FAR.

>> Eureka: I AGREE.

>> Bob: RIGHT.

>> AND IT'S INTERESTING TO ME TO

SEE A TOWN THAT LIKE CLEARLY

EVERYONE IN AMERICA KNOWS ABOUT.

>> EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT DOCTOR

KING.

>> Shangela: BLOODY SUNDAY TOOK

PLACE HERE.

>> Bob: IN AN EIGHTY PERCENT

BLACK TOWN WE STILL HAVE THIS

MONUMENT WHICH IS MASSIVE TO

SOMEONE WHO WAS A LEADER OF THE

KU KLUX KLAN IT'S STILL THE NAME

OF THE BRIDGE.

>> Bob: I DID SELMA PRIDE AND

WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT IT,

THE ENTIRE EVENT HAD ABOUT

PEOPLE AT IT.

TEN OF US WERE THE PERFORMERS.

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING WAS LIKE,

THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE

ADVERTISING THEIR PRIDE.

IN SELMA, PEOPLE'S QUEERNESS IS

REALLY DIMINISHED.

>> Shangela: WHERE THE GAYS AT.

HELLO?

OH YEAH GIRL, WE'RE HERE.

YES.

OKAY, TEXT ME.

>> Shangela: WE ARE IN SELMA

ALABAMA, A PLACE WIDELY KNOWN

FOR THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

>> Eureka: BEING IN SELMA, I

THINK ESPECIALLY AS A WHITE

PERSON IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR

ME TO BE EDUCATED.

>> Bob: IT SEEMS LIKE THE WORLD

HAS BEEN BENEFITED FROM SELMA

BUT SELMA'S HAVING A HARD TIME

BENEFITTING FROM THE WORLD.

THERE'S A LOT OF CLOSED DOWN

SHOPS, A LOT OF ABANDONED

BUILDINGS.

IT MUST BE TOUGH TO BE QUEER

SELMA.

>> Shangela: THEY NEED TO SEE

GAY PEOPLE ON STAGE OWNING THEIR

POWER, EVEN FOR JUST ONE NIGHT.

OOH, SELMA NEEDS DRAG.

SELMA NEEDS DRAG, HONEY.

>> Bob: MY FREEDOM AS A BLACK

QUEER PERSON IN AMERICA IS

DIRECTLY LINKED TO SELMA.

DIRECTLY.

>> WE'RE ALL GOING TOGETHER

TODAY.

WE'RE GONNA WALK TOGETHER.

WE'VE COME TOO FAR NOW TO TURN

BACK.

>> Bob: I DON'T THINK THAT SELMA

WILL EVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED

ON THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE AND

I DON'T THINK THEY, THEY SHOULD.

>> YOUR ORDER TO DISPERSED, THIS

MARCH WILL NOT CONTINUE.

>> Bob: YOU KNOW SELMA'S STORY

EXTENDS BEYOND BLOODY SUNDAY

BECAUSE THE STRUGGLES BETWEEN

PEOPLE OF COLOR AND QUEER

PEOPLE, THEY'RE NOT MUTUALLY

EXCLUSIVE.

>> GROWING UP IN SELMA IT WAS

LIKE A PRISON, I, I WASN'T

ALLOWED TO BE ME.

PUT ON THE BOXERS, PUT ON THE

BOOTS, PRETEND TO BE THIS MALE

PERSONA THAT EVERYONE EXPECTS

YOU TO BE.

OKAY, WORLD.

YOU HAVE TO STAY INSIDE A LOT.

YOU CAN'T REALLY WALK OUT IN THE

DAY TIME BECAUSE HERE IN SELMA

PEOPLE JUST DON'T HAVE

ACCEPTANCE.

SO, I'M ALWAYS HIDING.

SELMA IS A DANGEROUS PLACE FOR

TRANS WOMEN BECAUSE NO MATTER

WHERE YOU GO THEY'RE ALWAYS

WATCHING YOU.

I CARRY MACE IN MY PURSE BECAUSE

IT'S SCARY.

THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT

ANYTHING BUT WHAT THEY'RE USED

TO, PERIOD.

YOU SHOULDN'T JUDGE PEOPLE FOR

BEING SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN'T

HELP.

I CAN'T HELP BEING WHO I AM.

>> LET ME SEE ALL THAT.

>> Bob: HI.

I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE NAMED

AKEELAH, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE SHE

WAS, WHERE SHOULD I GO?

RIGHT HERE?

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH,

THANK YOU.

>> YES.

BOOM, GO.

OH, MY GOD!

>> Bob: DAMN.

>> OH MY GOD.

>> Bob: DAMN.

UH.

UH.

UH.

>> YES, OH MY.

>> Bob: UH, UH, UH.

>> OH MY GOD.

OH MY GOD.

I LOVE YOU.

>> Bob: SO NICE TO SEE YOU CAN

YOU INTRODUCE YOUR FRIENDS AS

WELL?

>> YES, THIS IS LAKEEYAH,

>> HELLO.

>> Bob: NAKEEYAH.

>> SHE HAS BEEN WITH ME, OH MY

GOD, SINCE THE BEGINNING.

I STARTED TEACHING THE DANCE

CLASS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

AND SHE WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS.

>> Bob: PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.

PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.

>> THIS IS WANEESHA.

I'VE BEEN WORK ON HER SINCE

SEVENTH GRADE.

>> MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS.

>> SEVENTH GRADE.

>> Bob: PLEASURE TO MEET YOU

WANNESHA.

>> YOU TOO, THANK YOU.

>> Bob: MY PLEASURE.

MY NAME IS BOB, IT'S NICE TO

MEET YOU ALL.

>> I KNOW, OH MY GOD, IN THE

FLESH.

>> Bob: OH YOU'VE BEEN SO SWEET

TO ME.

>> NO, I LOVE YOU, YOU DON'T

UNDERSTAND, TEAM DARK SKINNED.

>> Bob: YOU KNOW TEAM MELANIN.

>> YES.

GOD.

>> Bob: EXTRA MELANIN.

>> HELLO.

THE MORE THE BETTER.

>> Bob: I'M EXCITED TO GET TO

CHAT WITH YOU.

MAY I STEAL MISS AKEELAH FOR A

SECOND?

>> I'M ALL SWEATY, I'M SORRY.

>> Bob: THANK YOU.

>> AND YOU'VE BEEN

CHOREOGRAPHING THEM FOR YEARS?

>> FOR YEARS.

>> Bob: I'M ALSO EXCITED TO BE

BACK HERE IN ALABAMA.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS

BUT I USED TO LIVE IN ALABAMA SO

I'M FROM THE SOUTH.

SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR

EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE SOUTH,

NOT JUST THE SOUTH, BUT IN

HISTORIC SELMA.

>> THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE ONLY

TIME THAT WE, I GET TO LIVE.

IF YOU WANT ME TO BE TOTALLY

HONEST.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, NOBODY CAN

SEE.

OTHER THAN THAT THAT'S IN THE

HOUSE.

IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, ALMOST

FOUR YEARS SINCE I TRANS SO YOU

KNOW I'VE BEEN HIDING.

>> Bob: YEAH.

>> MY FAMILY I PRETTY MUCH LIKE,

THEY'RE NOT DEALING WITH ME.

>> Bob: THAT HAS TO HURT.

>> IT DOES.

DON'T NOBODY UNDERSTAND ME.

>> Bob: YEAH.

>> THEY THINK I AM A FREAK OF

NATURE.