ABOUT THE FILM



71 minutes, color, video

Tired of all the regressive hate-mongering and motivated by the threat of a federal anti-marriage amendment, married lesbian grandmothers Carrie & Elisia Ross-Stone set out to prove that they are not out to destroy "traditional families" and civilization as we know it! Using their own family as an example, they meet face-to-face with politicians and regular folks living in the heartland to show that their life is not so different from the lives of other American families. 

From the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, to shores of Coney Island, New York, the Rainbow Grannies - from Mars, Pennsylvanie - endure physical and emotional challenges over the course of 3,800 miles.

Some of the highlights (and lowlights) include:
-  a warm greeting from the mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah
-  an emotional protest outside the office of Colorado Representative
    Marilyn Musgrave (author of the Federal Marriage Amendment)
-  a visit to Matthew Shephard's Laramie, Wyoming
-  an unexpected visit to the World's Largest Ball of Twine
-  a counter-protest of Fred Phelps in Topeka, Kansas
-  a fundmentalist christian death threat
-  an emotional rememberance of Carrie's struggle with breast cancer
-  a dissppointing homecomming in Mars, Pennsylvannia
-  a bike ride through Manhattan to end the ride before five TV news   
   crews.

The Rainbow Ride
n the Spring of 2003, tired of waiting for marriage equality to come to them, Carrie and Elisia set out on the first in a series of cross-country bicycle rides. The first Ride began in Augustine, FL and ended 2,500 miles and two and a half months later in San Diego, CA. In cities and towns along the way they talked to individuals and groups about equal civil marriage rights.

The 2004 Rainbow Ride Across America is captured in the film Lesbian Grandmothers from MARS. In 2004, the marriages in San Francisco and other locations made same-sex marriage a hot button issue and the second cross-country trek even more timely and important.

Rainbow Ride 2004 Itinerary
Below is the Grannies 3,800 mile route. Find out more about each city by visiting the links and resources page.

Press
Find out what people are saying about the film, the grannies and the marriage equality issue here

To download a pdf copy of the press kit click here


The Crew
Keith Wilson - Producer/Director/Camera/Editor
Keith Wilson is a self-taught independent filmmaker and visual artist living in Austin, Texas. His award-winning short films including Southern Family, Don't You Bring Me Down Today and When the Light's Red have screened at festivals, community spaces and art galleries in North America, Europe and Australia. Lesbian Grandmothers from MARS is his first feature length film.

Keith is currently attending film school at the University of Texas-Austin. Originally from suburban Atlanta, he enjoys walking, free-time, art, cross-stitch and participating in public access television call-in shows. These were his prom dates in 1993:

    

Travis Mathews - Producer/Second Camera/Assistant Editor
Travis has been making movies, writing plays, screenplays and making totally awesome mixed tapes since he was a teen in rural Johnstown, Ohio. He holds a Master's degree in counseling psychology and is the director of Do I Look Fat a feature length documentary about gay males with eating disorders,.

Kasey Foster - Associate Producer/Second Camera
Kasey worked in broadcasting for six years, beginning her career at CNN as a Newsource feed producer. She is the producer of the critically acclaimed Public Access show, "V i d e o R i o t", and spins vintage Hawaiian music as DJ Aloha. She holds a degree in Art History from UCLA and loves to eat at the Waffle House with Keith even though he always wants to SPLIT the stupid All-Star Breakfast. Like - do you think they would really offer it if it was too much food for one person? She currently attends the AdCenter in Richmond, VA.

Eva Sollberger - Second Camera
Eva likes to make movies, dance and sing.  She pretends her life is a musical and and it pays off to critical acclailm in her television show The Deadbeat Club. She would like to thank her cat Boots and Melanie B. a.k.a. "Scary Spice". She recently starred in Burlington Vermont's Production of Grease and is currently working at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

Purchase The Film
Own a copy of Lesbian Grandmothers from MARS for as little as $19.95!! Find out more >>