The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Beyond Boundaries Screening and Discussion Series for a presentation of the documentary Esther Newton Made Me Gay (2022) on Thursday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m. in the Upton Hall 230 screening room. A discussion with special guests Esther Newton and director Jean Carlomusto will follow the film.

Hear the compelling story of cultural anthropologist Esther Newton and her awakening to gay life in the 1950s, followed by the women’s liberation movement, lesbian-feminism, drag culture, and forging a butch identity, which for her is now in conversation with trans-masculinity. Keenly attuned to the cultural and societal forces that shaped her life, Ms. Newton guides us through an anthropology of herself.

The tone of this film is light and fluid, guided by Ms. Newton’s love for a sport—competitive dog agility—that pairs her aging butch body with her beloved dog teammate on an obstacle course that is constantly changing.

Watch the trailer.

Beyond Boundaries is sponsored by the Buffalo State Center for Social Justice, Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Women and Gender Studies Interdisciplinary Unit, Communication Department, and Burchfield Penney Art Center. This screening is free and open to the public. The series is curated by Ruth Goldman and Meg Knowles, associate professors of communication.