out in the night

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Under the neon lights of the gay-friendly neighborhood of New York City, four young Black lesbians were violently and sexually threatened by a man on the street. They defend themselves and were charged and convicted in the courts and in the media as a 'Gang of Killer Lesbians'. 

Who has the right to defend themselves? This question is asked in Out in the Night, a documentary film that sheds light on the New Jersey 4 and how the media's prejudicial representation of these young women perpetuated harmful stereotypes and biases, leading to their wrongful incarcerations. 

Out in the Night had its international premiere at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival and has screened in hundreds of film festivals, universities, colleges and community organizations around the world, winning a dozen awards. The filmmakers partnered with the United Nations’ Free and Equal campaign to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide. Out in the Night kicked off the 2015 POV season on PBS with an unprecedented simultaneous broadcast on the Logo Network. 

Immediately following the arrest of the NJ4 on August 18th, 2006, and after reading many salacious headlines, I became interested in their case. However, it was the first of many New York Times articles that really gave me pause. “Man is stabbed after admiring a stranger.” I was outraged. This was not a flirtatious interaction. It was harassment and assault. 

Initially, I did not set out to document this story. As a white filmmaker, I did not think I should. Instead, I focused on advocating for their legal fees and ultimate release. Yet, as time passed, media interested wanned, and with their appellate trails looming, I wanted to keep their stories centered.