QFFU * UU: But I’m a Cheerleader (sold out)

Seventeen-year-old Megan Bloomfield is a happy high school senior who loves cheerleading and is dating Jared, a football player. She does not really enjoy kissing Jared and prefers looking at her fellow cheerleaders. This, combined with Megan’s interest in vegetarianism and Melissa Etheridge, lead her family and friends to suspect that she is a lesbian. With the help of ex-gay Mike, they surprise her with an intervention. Megan is then sent to True Directions, a conversion therapy camp which uses a five-step program to convert its campers to heterosexuality. Over the course of the program, Megan becomes friends with a bunch of new people who are in a similar situation. One of them is the extravagant Graham. But I’m A Cheerleader is a real queer cult classic with a very campy look and feel. The film has only been shown a few times in dutch cinemas.

This film will be introduced by media scholar Alvaro Lopez Navarro (Utrecht University). Afterwards, there will be a discussion about camp, queerness and representation. What has  changed in the last 20 years since the release of this cult classic? This afternoon will be moderated by Laura Mol (UU).

Language: English