PBS Celebrates Pride Month with PRIDELAND, a Short-Form Digital Series and New One-Hour Special with Host and Actor Dylln Burnside, Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity in the U.S. South

Digital Episodes Premiere May 26 on PBS Voices, a New Documentary Focused YouTube Channel from PBS Digital Studios; One-Hour Broadcast Special Premieres Friday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS

ARLINGTON, VA; May 12, 2020 - PBS is celebrating LGTBQ Pride Month with the launch of PRIDELAND, a new one-hour special and short-form digital series following host and actor Dyll n Burnside (from FX's Pose ) on a journey across the South. The six-episode short-form series will launch on PBS Voices, a new documentary-focused YouTube Channel by PBS Digital Studios, beginning Tuesday, May 26. A one-hour companion special, also hosted by Burnside, will premiere on Friday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

PRIDELAND, produced by Tiny Horse, opens a window into the world of modern-day LGBTQ life in America. The series highlights authentic personal stories brought to life through Burnside's curious, exploratory lens. As an LGBTQ advocate, he guides viewers into the South's various LGBTQ communities, connecting with people of different backgrounds, locations, experiences and points of view.

Being a queer boy raised in the South, I had distinct memories of feeling like I could never be my authentic-self there, so I left seeking acceptance and affirming communities. But I never left my southern roots, Burnside said. I wanted to go back as an adult and see if things had changed, and I'm proud to report that they have. Although there are still many challenges for queer folks in the south, which is home to more LGBTQ adults than anywhere else in the U.S., I'm in awe of everyone I met who are creating change in their communities. I believe that authenticity is a superpower, and these queer heroes and allies are truly inspirational.

PRIDELAND addresses how and why attitudes towards the community have changed, the ongoing challenges still faced by LGBTQ people, as well as stories of celebration and the vital role of allies. In their own voices, members of these communities answer questions that help to create real understanding of who they are and what it means to be their authentic selves in the places they call home.

LGBTQ culture has always been a part of the American story, but a lack of understanding and representation still exists in many regions of the country, said Brandon Arolfo, Head of PBS Digital Studios. With the launch of PRIDELAND on PBS Voices, PBS is excited to travel into the heart of America to see first-hand how the United States is changing from within, and how so many LGBTQ people and their allies are working to ensure they can live their lives with pride.

To ensure PRIDELAND reaches a variety of audiences, the program was designed for both digital and broadcast presentation.

PBS is committed to bringing important, forward-thinking programs like PRIDELAND to Americans across multiple platforms, Pamela A. Aguilar, Executive in Charge and Senior Director, Programming & Development at PBS said. We're excited to present a one-hour broadcast special alongside the digital series and provide audiences with unique and quality experiences wherever they consume media.

Overviews of both the PRIDELAND digital series and one-hour special are provided below:

Episode 1: Out, Proud & Southern: Dyll n Burnside's Story

Premieres:Tuesday, May 26 on PBS Voices

Description: Dyll n Burnside begins his journey by setting the stage of the series with his personal story of growing up in Pensacola, Florida. He explores what the South means to him, and why he left after getting fired from his church for coming out. He returns to discover that the South is home to more queer people than any other region in the U.S. with more than one-third of all LGBTQ adult Americans live below the Mason Dixon line. He also learns that the region has the most negative LGBTQ policies in the country and meets different people fighting for equal rights, starting with Carmarion D. Anderson, HRC Alabama State Director, the first transgender woman of color to hold such a leadership position.

Episode 2: An Openly Gay Pastor's Journey to Acceptance in the Bible Belt

Premieres: Tuesday, June 2 on PBS Voices

Description: The LGBTQ experience is as diverse and varied as the individuals who comprise it. While some still find rejection close to home, others are finding more and more acceptance in communities of origin or those they create. In this episode, Dyll n Burnside introduces viewers to Rob Lowry, an openly gay minister at a small, but mainstream church in Jackson, Mississippi. He was offered the job before the church knew he was gay, but they accepted him with open arms when he told them he would only take the position if he could lead while openly gay. Lowry is creating just that kind of community-open to all who take the command to love thy neighbor as thy would thyself to heart and in practice.

Episode 3: Polyamory, Demisexuality, and Being Transgender in the South

Premieres: Tuesday, June 9 on PBS Voices

Description: Dyll n Burnside sits down with a group of diverse LGBTQ members to learn how to embrace sex positivity and maneuver the modern dating scene. They talk candidly about asexuality, polyamorous relationships and how to manage diverging expectations in the queer community.

Episode 4: The Heartwarming Story of One of Alabama's First Same-Sex Adoptions

Premieres: Tuesday, June 16 on PBS Voices

Description: Dyll n Burnside is invited into the home of a lesbian couple who wouldn't let anyone or any law get in the way of them getting married and adopting the child of their dreams. He listens to how they've overcome the unique challenges of forming a family in the South, and learns what obstacles remain for other LGBTQ people in their home state of Alabama.

Episode 5: Championing

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