SAN FRANCISCO — Sister Roma and Carol Queen, among others, share their experiences about San Francisco’s sexual coming of age in a just-debuted documentary called “Bay Area Revelations: Sexual Revolutionaries.”
The hourlong documentary, broadcast this past weekend on NBC Bay Area, takes a look at how courageous individuals of the City by the Bay pushed the boundaries for their rights to express themselves freely and to live their truest lives.
Documentarians spoke with artists, activists and business owners, such as Roma, a creative director in the gay porn world and drag queen, along with sexologist Carol Queen, who has represented Good Vibrations for more than three decades, about how the Bay Area became the epicenter of the sexual revolution and gay rights in the later part of the 20th century.
They also spoke with Liberty Mitchell, who shared stories from her childhood, as the daughter of Artie Mitchell of the famous Mitchell Brothers, which operated several erotic venues in San Francisco.
Sister Roma, known as the “Most Photographed Nun in the World,” spoke with documentarians about the beginnings of the HIV crisis in the city and what many learned from the devastating disease.
“I’ve lost so many friends, so many sisters, young people … it has been a harrowing experience,” she said. “But we are rabble rousers, we are gamechangers. We will not accept something we know is wrong.”
Queen offered up the story about how Good Vibrations founder Joanie Blank started up the female-friendly sex toy and novelty store in San Francisco’s Mission District.
She discussed how Blank wanted only to set up a safe space to sell intimate home gadgets to women. But once HBO’s “Sex and the City” debuted, the taboo of using sex toys diminished and sales flourished.
NBC Bay Area also released a supplemental video called “3 Hours in 3 Minutes: Watch Sister Roma’s Amazing Makeup Transformation.” The video is available here.
Check out “Bay Area Revelations: Sexual Revolutionaries” here or catch an encore presentation on Sunday at 1 a.m. on NBC Bay Area.
Pictured: Sister Roma
