Please join the National Woman’s Political Caucus of Fresno on Tuesday February 2nd at 5:30 PM at Toledo’s Mexican Restaurant
367 E. Shaw, Fresno (corner of Shaw and Fresno Streets) $18.00 for dinner, no charge if no dinner
Col. Patsy Thompson and Barbara Brass, will be speaking on their film-in production:
SURVIVING THE SILENCE: LOVE AND IMPOSSIBLE CHOICES
Col. Thompson is a highly decorated Air Force and Army National Guard veteran. She and her wife of 30 years, Barbara Brass, survived as a closeted couple in the military, including Col. Thompson’s long-distance, phone-tapped tours at the Pentagon and in Panama. They bring to life the enduring impact of the anti-gay laws and attitudes and reveal how, shortly before her retirement, Col. Thompson presided over the board that dismissed Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer from the military for being a lesbian. (Col. Cammermeyer’s experience was told in her book Serving in Silence and made into a 1995 television movie executive-produced by Barbra Streisand and starring Glenn Close.) What was hidden from the public until last year is that Col. Thompson is also a lesbian. According to Col. Cammermeyer, Col. Thompson did all she could to get the best possible outcome from a horrible situation – better than if she had come out – and made the key difference in Col. Cammermeyer getting into Federal Court and being reinstated.
Col. Thompson and Ms. Brass’ story not only reminds us of history in a very human way, it shows the agony and courage of fulfilling one’s duty and the triumph of love over the obstacles the very government Col. Thompson was serving had put in their way.
In addition, the film’s Director and Producer Cindy L. Abel will be available to answer questions. Her first full-length documentary, the award-winning BREAKING THROUGH, features many LGBT politicians, who came out of the closet and into the halls of power.
Abel also combines her experience in managing multi-million dollar, award-winning communications projects with filmmaking to create videos and webisodes for corporate and public affairs clients. She blogs for Huffington Post, previously served as Co-Chair of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Vice-Chair of Atlanta Film Festival and Vice President of Communications of Women in Film & Television Atlanta.
For more information, go to www.nwpcfresno.org or contact Cathy Brass at [email protected], or call her at 559-256-6347(work) or 559-225-5433(home).
