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Mama Bears
Love’s Victory over Hatred
Speakers
English | 91 minutes
Director: Daresha Kyi
What happens when your child is gay or transgender, while you believe with your whole heart that that’s a sin? Evangelical Christians Kimberly and Sara make a brave transition into loving ‘Mama Bears’. Meanwhile, young Tammi struggles with self-acceptance and with her own mother.
They call themselves ‘Mama Bears’ and find each other on Facebook, at Pride rallies and everywhere LGBTQ+ people in the US need support. Sara and Kimberly are evangelical Christians whose foundations were shaken when their children turned out to be different than they thought. Sara’s son Parker came out as gay at 21, and when Kimberly’s child Kia told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t a boy but a girl, Kimberly was desperate.
Through the Facebook group Mama Bears, they found that they weren’t alone in struggling with their religious convictions. Now, both are fierce advocates for the queer community. Kimberly campaigns against the discriminatory Texas ‘Bathroom Bill’, and Sara goes around the country giving out her beautiful Free Mom Hugs. Young lesbian Tammi, meanwhile, has a hard time accepting who she is, as does her mother. She even marries a man to be ‘worthy of heaven’, demonstrating why the Mama Bears are so vitally important.
The movie screening will be accompanied by a short panel discussion between Indian ‘Mama Bears’.
In collaboration with:
Speakers
Janaki Ravi
Janaki Ravi, a former teacher turned startup professional in the education sector, was surprised when her daughter came out as a lesbian. Now she is a proud mother and an active supporter of the community.
Luvena Rangel
Luvena Rangel, a DEIAB advocate based in Bengaluru, is a devoted single parent to three children and a rainbow sibling who is a thriving photographer with a hearing disability. She is passionate about creating a compassionate and inclusive space, where children can embrace their true selves and be loved without judgement.
Mukunda Mala
Mukunda Mala is a social service enthusiast and a retired Deputy Manager from Coromandel International Ltd. She played a key role in uplifting the LGBTQ+ community and contributed significantly as the Founder of Queer Bandhu Parents Association, a Telangana State Transgenders Welfare Board Member. She is also an Advisory Board member of MITR Clinic, the first exclusive Transgenders Clinic in India.
Nilakshi Roy
Nilakshi Roy is a retired Head of the Department of English at KET’s V G Vaze College, Mumbai with diverse writing and publishing experience. Actively involved in advocating for queer rights and understanding their identities in academic institutions and corporate spaces, Nilakshi is also a spokesperson for the Sweekar Rainbow Parents Group.
Padma Iyer
Padma lyer is the mother of a renowned gender-fluid activist, Harish lyer. She is involved with the group Sweekar, the Rainbow Parents to assist other parents of LGBTQIA+ children. She placed India’s first gay matrimonial ad in a newspaper for her son, with the hope of inspiring other parents to support their gay children.
Anita Prasad
Dr. Anita Prasad, the first transwoman of Indian origin in Germany and Europe, has a diverse background in engineering, software, and aviation. She holds a PhD, has founded companies globally, made successful exits, and actively influenced the LGBTQIA+ community through writing and public speaking for the past 3.5 years.
