Documentary Arguing For Gay Marriage To Screen In Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - "Bridegroom" argues that legal marriage protects the rights of same sex partners.
The documentary film, which tells the emotional and heartbreaking journey of two young men in love, is screening at the Emagine Theatre in on Wednesday in Royal Oak.
Shane Bitney Crone says he was in a loving relationship with his partner Tom Bridegroom, when the worst happened: Tom fell off the roof of a building and later died of his injuries.
But not only did Shane have to deal with the death of his boyfriend; he had to deal with other issues as well.
"His family was able just to come in and take over and take his body back to Indiana and ban me from his funeral — and there was nothing that I could do about it," Bitney Crone told WWJ's Zahra Huber.
So Bitney Crone made a YouTube video (above) about his experience called "It Could Happen To You," which went viral. And thanks to a director named Linda Bloodworth-Thomasan and the support of celebrities including George Takei and Neil Patrick Harris, the video was turned into a documentary.
Bitney Crone says the goal of the film is to humanize the issues; not focus on the political arguments.
"So many people, they fear LGBT couples because they don't really understand it; because they don't know someone that's maybe gay," he said. "And so I think, with the film, the approach was just to share our lives and our experience and, hopefully, that will resonate with people that don't completely understand it."
Showtimes are 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25. At $10 each, general admission tickets for the Royal Oak screening of"Bridegroom" are available at www.neptix.com. In addition, $20 VIP tickets are available including a special after party meet and greet with Shane Bitney Crone following the 9:30 p.m. show.
Get more information at this link.
Oral arguments in the case banning same-sex marriage rights in Michigan is set to be heard before the 6th Circuit Court Of Appeals on August 6.