Qunify, an LGBTQ-centered social community, will host a free preview of a documentary that celebrates QTPoC who are masculine of center and genderfluid women and gender nonconforming folks at William Way LGBT Community Center.
Directed and produced by Tina Colleen and Monick Monell, also a cast member), and shot and edited by Safiyah Chiniere, the People of Color Productions documentary “I Identify As Me” centers on intersecting identities of QTPoC through personal stories. The rest of the cast includes Charlie Trotman, Chayse Attah, Frankie Classe, Lydia X.Z. Brown, Meek Jaffe, Neha Ghosh and TJ Love
The film’s producers and cast will join Qunify at the July 13 screening from 1-4 p.m. and participate in discussions with attendees.
With a QTPoC cast and crew, the documentary offers a deep dive into topics of masculinity and sexual fluidity, as well as societal pressure, disability, domestic violence, classism and racism, and gives a narrative controlled by those the film depicts.
Erin Busbee, director of grants and events at William Way said, “I believe that showing representations of what queer masculinity looks like in communities of color is important to share and continue to put out and educate as well as show younger generations that variations can exist.”
The discussion is part of Qunify’s themed discussion series, “Our Stories,” which provides a safe space to talk about and examine issues faced by LGBTQ-plus minorities.
Since June 2017, Qunify has held discussions and events that provide Philadelphia’s LGBTQ folks the opportunity to focus on intersectional identities.
The community group was founded by Philadelphia locals Ghosh, Eric Schroeckenthaler, Dredier Roberts, Vincent Scarfo and Sofia Oleas.
Ghosh believes the preview of “I Identify As Me” and discussion that follows “will help other queer folx that may be more masc of center and/or nonbinary dig into how they are treated in this current state of the world.”
Qunify founders aim to bridge the gap between communities, according to its mission. With pillars of “fam, woke and positive impact,” the group hopes to create spaces where members of the LGBTQ community “consciously treat each other like the chosen family we are” and “work to build our cultural competencies by listening to others’ experiences.”
Since is origination, Qunify has organized and hosted events focused on “QTPOC Mental Wellness, Immigration and queerness, Queer Fashion, Queer consent culture,” said Ghosh.
At this event, Qunify invites those in attendance to talk about their identities and relationship to masculinity, as well as the ways folks share themselves and open up to other community members.
An outline of the event is available on Facebook.com/qunifyphl.