For They Know Not What They Do
Daniel Karslake - Director / Writer / Producer
Premiered in the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
​FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO examines the intersection of religion, sexual orientation and gender identity in America.
In the wake of the Supreme Court case legalizing marriage equality, opponents launched a new campaign to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ citizens across the country. In collaboration with religious conservatives, politicians invoked both the Bible and the U.S. Constitution in their arguments for the ‘religious freedom’ to openly discriminate.
By telling the stories of four families struggling with these issues, the film offers healing, clarity and understanding to those caught in the crosshairs of scripture, sexuality, and identity.
The film features four families of faith including Rob & Linda Robertson, who were encouraged by their evangelical church family to put their son, Ryan, in conversion therapy; David & Sally McBride, life-long Presbyterians who were shocked when their youngest boy came out to them as a transgender woman; Victor Baez & Annette Febo, whose Catholic tradition and Puerto Rican upbringing greatly concerned their gay son; and Harold & Coleen Porcher, a mixed-race couple whose child endured self-harm before their parents’ acceptance enabled them to come to terms with their gender.
Alongside these family stories of faith, rejection, validation, tragedy and triumph, the film weaves together unique perspectives from religious leaders. Through love, reconciliation, and acceptance, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO takes us on a journey of understanding what connects us all and gives us the courage to embrace each other.
View the Trailer
