'Tennessee Loud' A Documentary About Drag in TN

This production is partnered with the Center for Independent Documentary for Fiscal Sponsorship. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please go to our CID film page.

What is the film about?

Tennessee is at the forefront of a national movement of hate that threatens to drag the country back into a dark age of discrimination. In 2023 alone, the Tennessee legislature considered 13 anti-LGBTQ bills, bringing national attention to hate in Tennessee. 

Tennessee Loud follows the Memphis LGBTQ+ community as they face off against SB0003, also known as the Tennessee Drag Ban, which attempted to criminalize drag in Tennessee and cast LGBTQ+ culture as pornographic and harmful to society. On June 2nd, 2023 at 11:00 pm, they won this fight when a Federal Judge declared the law unconstitutional on the eve of Memphis Pride. 

The film traces this hateful legislation from its origins, in a 2017 fight over a small-town drag show in Portland, TN, to the national fight for LGBTQ rights that is playing out in courtrooms across the country. The film travels from Jackson, TN to Memphis, to Orlando, FL, to Billings, MT, tracing the widespread impact on LGBTQ communities across the country.

This is not just a fight for drag, but a fight for the dignity and expression of all people.

What is happening in Tennessee?

On April 1st, SB0003 went into effect, banning drag performances in the state. This bill is just one of thirteen LGBTQ+ hate bills proposed or passed in Tennessee during the last legislative session designed to attack, criminalize, and punish LGBTQ+ Tennesseans. In the same sitting that the Drag Ban was signed, Governor Bill Lee also signed a ban on gender-affirming care for Trans youth into law. These bills compose a ‘Slate of Hate’ that is playing out not just in Tennesee but in legislatures across the country.

In June of 2023, Friends of George's won their challenge to SB0003 in Federal Court. This decision has been appealed to the 6th circuit and will hear oral arguments on February 1st.

According to a report published by GLAAD, 166 incidents of anti-LGBTQ protests and threats targeting drag events have occurred across the US in 2023. 2024 is on track to have more than twice as many hate bills, many of which are more severe than those proposed in 2022.

The Anti-Defamation League has tracked at least seven events where members of known extremist groups showed up. This includes a drag event in Memphis which was canceled after the Proud Boys showed up to harass attendees and performers.

How does your support help?

Now that we are past the halfway point, it's time for us to enter a new phase of the film. In this phase, we need to raise $30,000 by the end of July to keep the cameras rolling, hire an editor for post-production, and assemble our first trailer!

Who are we?

Mason Allard

Producer & Director

Mason got his start in filmmaking on the social impact documentary All The Lonely People (2022). As a filmmaker, he seeks to share the stories of marginalized communities and uses the medium to examine the systems that perpetuate discrimination and oppression. He has worked on special projects for Award-winning documentarians, including:

Retreat From Reason Studio

Production Company

Retreat From Reason Studio began in 2020 to help independent documentarians engage with audiences at the height of the pandemic. Retreat From Reason Studio has since expanded its scope to empower a broader community of filmmakers and create original documentaries that elevate the stories of traditionally marginalized communities.