ALAGIE came from a culture where homosexuals were considered the work of the devil and subject to jailing or the death penalty. As a student in the US Alagie posted 14 words in defense of gay rights. He suffered mightily as a result, but survived to become a fierce advocate for human rights.
Category Archives: SBIFF Official Selection
Mark Asman, “Extending Always The Hand Of Friendship”
As one of the first ‘out’ gay priests in the Episcopal Church, Mark explains his difficult journey, while others provide witness to the indelible mark he has made for social justice and equality in Santa Barbara.
KRISTIANNE CLIFFORD | “I am not my past mistakes”
Kristianne made some bad choices at age 26 and spent the next 18 years paying for them in a California prison. She was paroled in 2012 after achieving many academic and leadership successes. Kristianne currently studies at Antioch University SB and directs Freedom To Choose, which offers a lifeline for those incarcerated in US prisons and jails (over 2.2 million in the USA).
Suzanne Riordan | Stop The Revolving Door
SUZANNE RIORDAN explains how her personal tragedy inspired her and others with similar experience to create Families ACT!, an effective and powerful S.B. advocacy group dedicated to obtaining more humane, medically oriented treatment for the mentally ill and those struggling with addiction.