The perception is that gangs are dangerous, quite scary and also homophobic, and while that may be largely true, there is one that’s a little different, as it’s the only known gang made up solely of gay & queer members. Now a documentary about it is being made called Check It, which is seeking $60,000 via IndieGoGo to get it completed.
Vice reports that ‘The group formed to provide members safety in numbers and let people know that if you jumped a gay kid in DC, you’d likely get jumped back in retaliation… Unlike other gangs, the Check It aren’t tied to a specific geographic location. They hang out at each others’ houses, mostly, as well as a local Denny’s and the Chinatown and Gallery Place Metro stations. And they didn’t have to do much to spread their name. A local go-go band called ReAction wrote a song about the gang and name-checked individual members. That meant people like [Trayvon] Warren (pictured) had a certain amount of notoriety, which allowed him to go to pretty much any neighborhood in DC without people giving him much trouble for being, as he and his friends put it, “faggie.”‘
The documentary provides ‘an intimate portrait of 5 childhood friends as they claw themselves out of gang life through an unlikely avenue–fashion.’
At the IndieGoGo page says, life can be extremely tough for African-American queer teens, with many rejected by their family and community, and then face a struggle to survive, with the gang providing a refuge, despite the still present dangers.
You can take a look at the trailer below, which is introduced by Steve Buscemi, and then head over to the IndieGoGo page for more info.
Leave a Reply (if comment does not appear immediately, it may have been held for moderation)