Get an inside peek at a real Drag Queen Story Hour in Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s powerful new short film
It’s Okay comes in, an impactful short film that “presents a quiet take on a very noisy subject,” following one young family as they head to a neighborhood pre-school where a queen, Shelita Bonet Hoyle, reads children’s books like It’s Okay To Be Different.A post shared by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler)As Out reported late last month, the short is a collaboration between Emmy-nominated and Tony-winning actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), his husband and co-producer Justin Mikita, and acclaimed documentary filmmaker David France.France, of course, is behind a number of powerful films delving into the past, present, and future of our queer community, from harrowing account of anti-gay purges in southern Russia Welcome To Chechnya, to a chronicle of the mothers of our libration movement The Death And Life Of Marsha P.
Johnson, to the Oscar-nominated How To Survive A Plague looking back on the impact of the AIDS epidemic.And though the 11-minute short It’s Okay may seem like a smaller-scale effort compared to France’s previous works, its central message feels just as big, just as crucial.Filmed in Charlotte, NC a week after local lawmakers introduced a bill that would make it illegal for drag artists to perform for minors, It’s Okay boldly presents Drag Queen Story Hours as they always are—at least when fear-mongering protesters aren’t trying to disrupt them with anger and violence: They’re peaceful, joyful, and a real opportunity for kids to just be themselves.A post shared by David France (@bydavidfrance)In a statement shared exclusively with Queerty, producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson has this to say about the short:“It’s Okay is a powerful rebuttal to the very real threat of government interference in our performance and making of art around our country.
