Cheers and Queers

I wrote this film with the intention of normalizing queerness in teens, and to showcase an experience that many young queer girls go through when figuring out who they are.
I wanted to debunk different stereotypes about queer teens, particularly girls; it can be terrifying and confusing to discover a part of yourself when all you know of that identity are harmful stereotypes such as “raging, predatory lesbian” and feeling like you have to fit into a specific box in order to be a girl who likes girls. With this film, I want to spark discussion about what it means to be a queer teenage girl in this day and age, because while many of our experiences are similar, we are all individuals with a different story to tell. “Tolerance” is my least favorite
word when discussing identities, because what we really need to promote is education, understanding, and acceptance. You tolerate going to the dentist; you tolerate doing homework; you tolerate your brother’s bad taste in music blaring from his bedroom; but queerness is not something to be tolerated, to be grudgingly put up with. It should be embraced and welcomed.
Cheers and Queers is nearly a $0 budget film, so any money we spent was out-of-pocket. I relied on help from my friends who are actors, my digital media teacher Mr. Dockery, and my father and his professional contacts. As my first movie, it was more of a learning experience than anything else. Though I am a perfectionist and often bite off more than I can chew with any sort of project, I learned in making this film that it’s necessary to ask for help when taking on something this huge. Cheers and Queers is not only dedicated to young queer girls out there, but for anybody who has ever struggled with finding who they are.