By CINDY GONZALEZ
Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — It’s been 30 years since the murder of Brandon Teena, a 21-year-old transgender man and Lincoln native, in rural Falls City, Nebraska.
Marking the anniversary of the tragedy, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and OutNebraska teamed up to host a free screening of the documentary, “The Brandon Teena Story,” on May 1 at Lincoln’s Ross Media Arts Center.
The 7 p.m. event starts with a panel discussion featuring documentary filmmakers Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir, State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln and transgender speaker and author Ryan Sallans.
Organizers have invited all 49 Nebraska state senators to attend, according to an ACLU media statement.
The conversation is to cover Brandon’s life, progress in trans rights and visibility since 1993 and challenges impacting rights of trans people today, including current measures in the Nebraska Legislature.
The 1998 documentary to be shown features interviews with people involved in the case and footage of the Falls City scene.
The story of Brandon’s rape and subsequent murder was dramatized in a movie that was released a year after the documentary.
Tickets are required and can be obtained online.
The ACLU said the documentary is not rated. It includes discussion of murder, sexual violence and other difficult topics. Viewer discretion is advised.