With Pride Month in full swing, we are seeing the lives of unsung heroes in the LGBTQ community be documented.

Mama Gloria, a documentary by Luchina Fisher, details one such unsung hero.

The documentary is billed on Seed and Spark as “an intimate portrait of aging about a trailblazing 73-year-old black transgender woman who transitioned before Stonewall.”

Mama Gloria tells the tale of Gloria Allen, a 73-year old Black transgender woman who started a charm school for transgender youth in her 60s. Originally born as George, Gloria immersed herself in the drag ball culture of Chicago’s South Side before transitioning. Now in her 70s, the vibrant woman is on a quest for companionship.

The character-driven documentary also presents a personal project for Fisher, a Black woman filmmaker who is currently raising a biracial transgender daughter. Fisher has also assembled a team of women to assist in with the documentary, the majority of whom are Black and members of the LGBTQ community.

Fisher recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seed and Spark for Mama Gloria to pay the documentary’s editor, license archive material, license music and for an original film score and pay for color correction and sound. The crowdfunding campaign currently has $5,340 pledged of $15,000 and ends in 24 days.

With the murders of Black transgender women rising at an alarming rate, Mama Gloria could play a vital role in honoring the humanity and struggle of trans individuals, while bringing more education to society in the process.

View the campaign here and watch the video below:

READ MORE:

Here Are 11 Black Trans Entertainers Revolutionizing How We See Film And Television

Photo: courtesy of Mama Gloria

Luchina Allen

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