In addition to the personal stories being told, there are also progressive religious scholars who differ from the norm of “IF YOU’RE GAY, YOU’RE GOIN’ TO HELL!” They input commentary on the individual families and broach such topics as those of conversion therapy and the “bathroom bills,” among many others. These include the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson; Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis out of New York who advocates for gay rights and has one of the most progressive congregations in NYC; Reverend Dr. Delmon Coates of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland, unlike almost every other megachurch pastor, doesn’t believe that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin (newsflash, it doesn’t, but that’s a story for another time); and finally Reverend Cynthia Alice Anderson of Christ Church Unity in Orlando, Florida.
Overall, For They Know Not What They Do is by turns full of hope, followed by heartbreak. It makes a case for acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly the younger people. There’s a shocking number of gay and trans teenagers who contemplate or attempt suicide. The documentary shows people who might think otherwise that these kids are the same as straight kids. That everyone goes through the same struggles and more. As if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough.
“…by turns full of hope, followed by heartbreak. It makes a case for acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community…”
Even if you don’t have a personal connection to an LGBTQIA+ person, which the likelihood of that is slim to none, honestly, you will feel for the families and especially the kids in their journeys to find love, acceptance, and balance in this world. Despite all our best efforts, we still manage to have more than enough blind hate to go around. Daniel Karslake and writer/editor Nancy Kennedy are excellent storytellers, and I’m forever grateful to them and the families who participated for hopefully helping society take a step in the right direction, away from discrimination and towards equality.
I wish that Kelly could’ve seen this documentary, and more importantly, that some of the least accepting members of my family could have. He might’ve ended up being much happier. However, he came out in the days of Freddie Mercury and unfortunately passed away from AIDS-related cancer in 2015. I’m not trying to make this review about my personal life, but so many of the circumstances in For They Know Not What They Do remind me of my beloved cousin. Therefore this review is dedicated to him.
"…everyone goes through the same struggles..."
