I Was Born This Way

It's a very rare thing to be able to give Black Queer elders their flowers and allow them to tell their stories in their own words. "I Was Born This Way" illuminates so much of the life and motivations of Carl Bean, a figure that has been pivotal in gospel and queer music and life for decades, but who has been lost to time in the new generation.

Brought forth by Questlove, Billy Porter, Lady Gaga and some seemingly AI-assisted animations, this documentary, thankfully, focuses almost exclusively on a sit-down interview with Bean himself - someone who followed his own spiritual guidance and calling over everything else, and saved lives with his art and work while doing so.

Hearing his own story from him directly, with very little tailoring, was such a refreshing and complete experience - colourful, profound and highly necessary to preserve and uplift in this current climate of erasure. His recalling, in detail, the history, and his insistence on making crystal clear the struggles and issues of being Black, LGBTQIA+, and proud in the 70's, and all the way through AIDS to the modern day, felt like as much of a warning as it was a preservation of knowledge.

Though it was disappointing that it felt as if more famous personalities have managed to run with his message, this didn't seem to upset or phase Bean, who was grateful that the message is being continued. I only wish we could continue to see Black Queer Elders speak in their own words, sing their own tunes, and for their wisdom to be heard, directly.