{"id":927691,"date":"2025-01-31T11:57:29","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T16:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?p=927691"},"modified":"2025-02-03T09:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T14:55:10","slug":"sundance-2025-glaad-co-hosts-cheers-queers-event-featuring-hope-giselle-aud-mason-hyde-zackary-drucker-andrew-ahn-tonatiuh-elegance-bratton-and-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/sundance-2025-glaad-co-hosts-cheers-queers-event-featuring-hope-giselle-aud-mason-hyde-zackary-drucker-andrew-ahn-tonatiuh-elegance-bratton-and-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Sundance 2025: GLAAD Co-hosts \u201cCheers, Queers\u201d Event Featuring Hope Giselle, Aud Mason-Hyde, Zackary Drucker, Andrew Ahn, Tonatiuh, Elegance Bratton, and Others"},"content":{"rendered":"

On January 24, GLAAD<\/strong> with Frameline<\/strong> and Newfest<\/strong> in partnership with ACURA<\/strong> and IMDbPro<\/strong> returned to Sundance Film Festival<\/strong> as hosts of the second annual \u201cCheers, Queers\u201d<\/strong><\/a> event dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ stories and makers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event kicked off with the \u201cTrans Stories and Storytellers\u201d panel, which rides the wave of momentum from last year\u2019s Transgender Storytellers panel.<\/a> \u00a0The conversation continues GLAAD’s mission to amplify trans peoples\u2019 voices amid the ongoing escalation of anti-trans legislation in Utah and across the country. As GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment & Transgender Inclusion, Alex Schmider<\/strong>, warned during last year’s panel:<\/p>\n

“If [Utah House Bill 257] becomes law, by Sundance 2025, the people you see on this stage will have to make decisions about their safety to be here. It\u2019s on all of us to speak out against this legislation that endangers trans people and anyone who knows their own gender better than the government.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Schmider moderated the panel which featured trans storytellers and leaders, including Moi Santos<\/strong> (Sundance), Hope Giselle<\/strong> (BLKNWS<\/em>), Aud Mason-Hyde<\/strong> (Jimpa<\/em>), Zackary Drucker<\/strong> (Enigma<\/em>), Shaan Dasani<\/strong>, and Sav Rodgers<\/strong> (Transgender Film Center). Each of them their insights about our present and the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

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(L-R) Sav Rodgers, Shaan Dasani, Zackary Drucker, Aud Mason-Hyde, Hope Giselle, Moi Santos, and Alex Schmider (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I don\u2019t have the luxury of being silenced about the ways Black trans women are being erased,” said Giselle on the panel. “Wherever I go, I make sure to say the hard things and force people to have those conversations.”<\/p>\n

Giselle continued to talk about resilience: “For every person who overlooks you, there are six or seven inspired by your bravery. Do it scared, do it underfunded, but do it.”<\/p>\n

“Freedom feels better than fear,” said Santos. “Being a trans woman of color has been one of the biggest blessings from the creator, and I refuse to let any cis person make me feel otherwise.”<\/p>\n

Dasani added, “As a community, we\u2019re intergenerational. We learn so much from those ahead of us and those coming up behind us. My goal is to create work where we don\u2019t have to explain our identity\u2014we can just exist.”<\/p>\n

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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following the panel, GLAAD’s Ryan Mitchell<\/strong> took the stage as emcee and welcomed LGBTQ film festival leaders including Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez<\/strong>, Newfest\u2019s David Hatkoff,<\/strong> Frameline\u2019s Allegra Madsen<\/strong>, and Utah Queer Film Festival\u2019s Russell Roots. <\/strong>They led<\/strong>\u00a0the \u201cRaising Our Voices\u201d<\/strong> section where LGBTQ artists offered their motivations of the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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(L-R) Eugene Hernandez, Allegra Madsen, David Hatkoff, and Ryan Mitchell (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Russell Roots (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Elegance Bratton (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lio Mehiel (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tonatiuh (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Andrew Ahn (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lauren Choffi (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sonya Passi <\/span>(Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lesli Klainberg <\/span>(Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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DaShawn Usher (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To conclude, GLAAD\u2019s Andria Wilson Mirza<\/strong> alongside co-hosts commenced the Industry Happy Hour, inviting creatives in the room to update their IMDb pages for increased ability to be searchable for crewing and casting opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Andria Wilson Mirza (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Allegra Madsen, David Hatkoff, Andria Wilson Mirza, Ryan Mitchell, Alex Schmider (Chelsea Lauren\/for GLAAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The event was attended by many LGBTQ and ally entertainment leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Lesli Klainberg, Eugene Hernandez, and Glenn Kiser (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Lauren Fisher, Fawzia Mirza and Jake Casey (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Murtada Elfadl, Lio Mehiel and Bec Pecaut (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Jordan Diaz, Latham Ford, Ryan Mitchell and Darwin Garcia (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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L-R) Sabrina Sellers, Liat Z. Rubin and Abby Harri (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Sanaz Yamin, Rebekah Cheyne, Andria Wilson and Laura Salinas (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Eric Podwall and Carmen Emmi (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Tonatiuh, Fawzia Mirza, Leah Dyjak, and Carrie Schrader (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Evan Redwood, Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment and Transgender Inclusion and Darwin Garcia (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Dupe Bosu, Arianna Fregoso, Jaunice Sills and Amanda Ross (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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(L-R) Julian Walker, Anthony Ramos, DaShawn Usher, Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment and Transgender Inclusion, Andria Wilson, David Hatkoff, Allegra Madsen, and Nick McCarthy (Photo by Vivien Killilea\/Getty Images for Acura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On January 24, GLAAD with Frameline and Newfest in partnership with ACURA and IMDbPro returned to Sundance Film Festival as hosts of the second annual \u201cCheers, Queers\u201d event dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ stories and makers. The event kicked off with the \u201cTrans Stories and Storytellers\u201d panel, which rides the wave of momentum from last year\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":456,"featured_media":927784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138841,138413,138401,138732,138402,138409],"tags":[142229,141355,142235,133484,142232,139218,142255,142228,142234,142236,128733,142133,120406,120439,134646,142231,139665,142241,142240,140528,142230,121928,142237,142251,137314,142233,142239,122883,122885,142238,136422,123337,131960],"ppma_author":[139068],"class_list":{"0":"post-927691","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advocacy","8":"category-people-of-color","9":"category-entertainment","10":"category-featured","11":"category-film","12":"category-transgender","13":"tag-acura","14":"tag-alex-schmider","15":"tag-allegra-madsen","16":"tag-andrew-ahn","17":"tag-aud-mason-hyde","18":"tag-black-trans-stories","19":"tag-blknws","20":"tag-cheers-queers","21":"tag-dashawn-usher","22":"tag-david-hatkoff","23":"tag-elegance-bratton","24":"tag-eugene-hernandez","25":"tag-film-festival","26":"tag-frameline","27":"tag-glaad-media-institute","28":"tag-hope-giselle","29":"tag-imdbpro","30":"tag-lauren-choffi","31":"tag-lesli-klainberg","32":"tag-lio-mehiel","33":"tag-moi-santos","34":"tag-newfest","35":"tag-russell-roots","36":"tag-ryan-mitchell","37":"tag-sav-rodgers","38":"tag-shaan-dasani","39":"tag-sonya-passi","40":"tag-sundance","41":"tag-sundance-film-festival","42":"tag-tonatiuh","43":"tag-transgender-film-center","44":"tag-utah","45":"tag-zackary-drucker"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t