Web Series Queer Ghost Hunters Uncovers LGBT History While Parodying the Genre
Debi Moore
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October is LGBT History Month, and tying in with both that and the Halloween season, the new web series “Queer Ghost Hunters” is kicking off a bit later today. It not only features the Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters (the first known group of its kind) but also pokes a bit of fun at other shows of the same ilk.
Intrigued? You’ll find more info, the trailer, and a sneak peek below.
From the Press Release:
“Queer Ghost Hunters,” the first show about LGBTQ ghost hunters, debuts online Saturday, October 1st, at 7pm ET as we kick off LGBT History Month and the Halloween season. The docuseries follows real people discovering stories of the queer past in places as diverse as the Ohio State Reformatory, where Shawshank Redemption was filmed, and just one of many reportedly haunted places where LGBTQ people were often imprisoned, lived, or worked in greater numbers than the general population. “Queer Ghost Hunters” looks at very real history, no matter what you believe, while parodying other “ghost hunting” shows.
The web series follows the first known group of its kind, the Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters in Columbus, Ohio, as they investigate haunted sites asking for the first time if there are queer ghosts that wish to come out to the team. Surprisingly, the series has documented a number of those contacts. “Sometimes it feels a little like group therapy,” says Katy Detrow. As a preschool teacher, mother, and self-identified bisexual, Detrow is a good example of the team’s diverse make-up. She’s joined by Scott Priddy, Lori Gum, Liam Gallagher, Kai Stone, and Shane McClelland.
“Even though they really believe in what they are doing, they are totally aware of how some may be raising an eyebrow. So their ability to have fun at their own expense has been just as fun to document,” said Stu Maddux, director at Stu Maddux Films, who has created several LGBT history and aging documentaries including “Gen Silent” and “Reel in the Closet” with his spouse and co-producer, Joe Applebaum.
“We’ve been taken off-guard and pleasantly surprised by the number of people telling us that they have been waiting a long time for something that combines being queer with being a ghost hunter,” said Applebaum.
Before an investigation, the Queer Ghost Hunters research a site, looking for evidence of queer people who may have been there. For example, the team researcher found a batch of prison records from the early 1900s of more than 50 young men sent to the Ohio State Reformatory (as the prison in the film Shawshank Redemption was called) on convictions for sodomy. Some of the young men died while there. They also found surveillance film from a bust of gay men using a public bathroom for sex in the 1960s that led to some men being incarcerated at that same prison.
“The ghosts of some of these people seem to still be there and ready to talk,” says McClelland, “but they’ve been waiting for an understanding voice. Plus they seem to be a little randy after all those years. That helps.”
After tonight’s premiere, episodes post at 7pm ET each Friday in October on the “Queer Ghost Hunters” YouTube Channel. Additionally, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched to fund episodes past this month. For more information visit queerghosthunters.com.
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