FX sets premiere date for six-part docuseries ‘Pride’ directed by Andrew Ahn, Cheryl Dunye and more

Episodes directed by Tom Kalin, Andrew Ahn, Cheryl Dunye, Anthony Caronna, Alex Smith, Yance Ford, and Ro Haber

FX today announced the premiere date for Pride, a six-part documentary series chronicling the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights in America decade-by-decade from the 1950s onward. PRIDE will premiere its first three episodes back-to-back on May 14, 2021 beginning at 8pm ET/PT on FX, followed by the final three episodes on May 21 beginning at 8pm ET/PT. All of the episodes will be available the day after premiere on FX on Hulu. 

In Pride, from Emmy Award-winning Killer Films (This American Life, Mildred Pierce) and Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize winning VICE Studios (Flee, The Report), six renowned LGBTQ+ directors explore heroic and heartbreaking stories that define us as a nation. The limited series spans the FBI surveillance of homosexuals during the 1950s Lavender Scare to the “Culture Wars” of the 1990s and beyond, exploring the queer legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the battle over marriage equality. Featuring little-known characters such as Madeleine Tress or 1980s videographer Nelson Sullivan who chronicled a vanishing downtown New York City during the AIDS epidemic, the series also features international figures such as Civil Rights pioneer Bayard Rustin, writer Audre Lord and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Lester Hunt. The evolution of trans rights and identities through the decades is charted through interviews and archival footage of pioneers including Christine Jorgensen, Flawless Sabrina, Ceyenne Doroshow, Susan Stryker, Kate Bornstein, Dean Spade and Raquel Willis. 

Episode 1 is a revealing look at the vibrant and full lives lived by queer people in the 1950s amidst a steep rise in governmental regulations against the LGBTQ+ community led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who ushered in an era of government-sanctioned persecution and directed by Tom Kalin. Episode 2 takes place before Stonewall, where pride took root in the 1960s when lesser-known heroes from marginalized communities, including queer girls of color and trans women, played an integral role in the advancement of the movement. Through activism and protest, small and large, the LGBTQ+ community struggled for rights, acceptance and equality and is directed by Andrew Ahn. Episode 3 is a personal journey for Cheryl Dunye, who interweaves archival footage, personal testimonies and interviews to show how the 1970s helped forge a national movement, from the first Gay Pride march, to the rise of artists like filmmaker Barbara Hammer and poet Audre Lorde, to the confrontation of intersectional feminism and the backlash and opposition from the religious right. 

Pride is executive produced by Alex Stapleton, Danny Gabai, Kama Kaina & Stacy Scripter for VICE Studios and Killer Films Christine Vachon & Sydney Foos.