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I Was Born This Way

0% | Jun 05, 2025
Documentary Music

Surviving childhood abuse during his upbringing in Baltimore, Archbishop Carl Bean forged a path to New York and Hollywood to do the one thing he knew he was put on earth to do: sing. Making his mark first as a gospel singer, Bean got the break of his life when Motown tapped him in 1977 to record the disco song “I Was Born This Way,” which quickly became the first gay anthem at a time when it was uncommon to be out and proud. When the AIDS crisis hit, however, Bean soon found himself drawn to a different calling: compassionate activism. Instead of pursuing the momentum of his promising music career, he founded the Minority AIDS Project and the Unity Fellowship Church — the first LGBTQ+ church for people of color.

Top Billed Cast

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Carl Bean
Self (archive footage)

Featured Crew

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Daniel Junge
Director
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Sam Pollard
Director
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Jerry Henry
Director of Photography
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Jed Alan
Director of Photography
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Wellington Love
Producer
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Jed Alan
Producer
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Daniel Junge
Producer
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Tessa Malsam
Editor
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Davis Coombe
Editor
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John Jennings Boyd
Original Music Composer
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DeAndre James Allen-Toole
Original Music Composer
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Questlove
Executive Producer

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