Tennessee is at the forefront of a national movement of hate that threatens to drag the country back into a dark age of discrimination. In 2023 alone, the Tennessee legislature has considered 13 anti-LGBTQ bills, bringing national attention to hate in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE LOUD follows the Memphis LGBTQ+ community as they face off against SB0003, also known as the Tennessee Drag Ban, which attempts to criminalize drag and cast LGBTQ+ culture as pornographic and harmful to society.
The film follows Vanessa Rodley, the Executive Director of MidSouth Pride, as they organize the first pride event in Tennessee since the Drag Ban passed, and her journey as a Friends of George’s board member, the Memphis-based LGBTQ+ theater troupe challenging the Drag Ban in Federal Court.
It also follows a group of Memphis drag performers, showcasing the life, joy, and power of the real Tennesseans continuing to organize and demand visibility in the face of state oppression.