LOVE FREE OR DIE w/Special Guest

December 28, 2012, Palm Springs, CA - The Palm Springs Cultural Center, in cooperation The Church of St. Paul in the Desert and its annual Desert Convocation Series, is pleased to announce a very special screening of LOVE FREE OR DIE, the acclaimed documentary about the Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop in the history of Christendom. The film, which earned a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize at its World Premiere during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, follows Robinson’s personal story as it intersects with the debate among churches and denominations about whether or not lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are equal to heterosexuals in the eyes of God, and as the United States debates whether or not LGBT people are equal to heterosexuals in the eyes of the law.

Robinson, whose consecration as Bishop in 2003 ignited an international firestorm, found himself thrust onto the world stage as a universal symbol of LGBT equality. LOVE FREE OR DIE follows him as he travels from small-town churches to Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, and ultimately to London’s Lambeth Palace for a meeting with Dr Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury. At each stop in his journey, Bishop Robinson calls for all people, both within the Episcopal church, and without, to take a stand for equality. He has inspired other bishops, priests, and a plethora of ordinary folk to step out of the shadows and join him as he works to challenge history, and change the future of the Church, Christianity, and the views of people throughout the world.

LOVE FREE OR DIE will screen at Camelot Theatres on Saturday, January 19th at 9:30am. Bishop Robinson will be on hand to introduce the film and answer questions after the screening.

ABOUT THE FILM:
LOVE FREE OR DIE is about a man whose two defining passions are in direct conflict: his love for God and for his partner Mark. Gene Robinson is the first openly gay person to become a bishop in the historic traditions of Christendom. His consecration in 2003, to which he wore a bullet-proof vest, caused an international stir, and he has lived with death threats every day since.

The film follows Robinson’s personal story as American churches debate whether or not lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are equal to heterosexuals in the eyes of God while our nation debates whether LGBT people are equal to heterosexuals in the eyes of the law.

In LOVE FREE OR DIE, Bishop Gene steps onto the world stage as he travels from small-town churches to Washington’s Lincoln Memorial to London’s Lambeth Palace calling for all to stand for equality – inspiring bishops, priests and ordinary folk to come out from the shadows and change history.

LOVE FREE OR DIE reunites the filmmaking team of Macky Alston and Sandra Itkoff who collaborated on The Killer Within. Alston also directed Family Name which premiered at Sundance and prior production credits for Itkoff include Defamation, Cadillac Desert

ABOUT THE BISHOP:
V. Gene Robinson was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire on June 7, 2003, having served as Canon to the Ordinary (Assistant to the Bishop) for nearly 18 years. He was consecrated a Bishop on All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2003, and was invested as the Ninth Bishop of New Hampshire on March 7, 2004. A 1969 graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, he has a B.A. in American Studies/History. In 1973, he completed the M.Div. degree at the General Theological Seminary in New York, was ordained deacon, and then priest, serving as Curate at Christ Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey. Much of his ministry has focused on helping congregations and clergy, especially in times of conflict, utilizing his skills in congregational dynamics, conflict resolution and mediation. He holds two honorary doctorates and has received numerous awards from national civil rights organizations. His story is featured in the 2007 feature-length documentary, “For the Bible Tells Me So.” In 2008 Gene’s book “In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God” (Seabury Books, New York) was released. Bishop Robinson has been active particularly in the area of full civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender people. Working at the state, national and international levels, he has spoken and lobbied for equal protection under the law and full civil marriage rights. He has been honored by many LGBT organizations for this work, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, GLAD, NH Civil Liberties Union, GLAAD, and the Equality Forum. Bishop Robinson was invited by Barack Obama to give the invocation at the opening inaugural ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18, 2009. The Bishop’s next book, God Believes in Love: Straight Talk about Gay Marriage, will be published by Alfred Knopf in the fall of 2012. He is the father of two grown daughters and the proud grandfather of two granddaughters. He lives with his husband, Mark Andrew, who is employed by the State of New Hampshire’s Department Health & Human Services.