When most Pennsylvanians think of Lancaster, “diversity” is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. The idea that rural Pennsylvania might be called home by any form of alienated community seems to get buried beneath the sea of cornfields and evangelical billboards. Despite our preconceived notions, filmmaker Colleen C. Brady has decided to shine a light on a side of Lancaster County not often seen by outsiders, one filled to the brim with radical queer joy.
“Amish Country Queer” is a documentary short film following Brady Pappas, a transgender photographer and artist based in Lancaster, as she seeks to capture the queer and trans nightlife of South Central Pennsylvania while navigating her own transitional journey within a religious community. After winning multiple awards along the statewide festival circuit, the film will now be making its way to Philadelphia on Sept. 17 as part of 2026’s Fringe Festival. Local arthouse cinema collective cinéSPEAK will be showcasing the film alongside Little Echo Productions at the Cannonball Hub’s Asian Arts Initiative theatre, where audiences will be treated to live drag performances and a popup showcasing Pappas’ work in addition to screenings of the film. A press release for the event highlights the tumultuous times Pennsylvania’s queer and trans inhabitants are living through, with as many 12 anti trans bills being introduced to Pennsylvania’s senate in 2025. “In that context, Amish Country Queer is not simply a film.” Little Echo Productions says. “Representation is resistance.”
The Philadelphia Plain Dealer had the pleasure of speaking with Colleen C Brady, director of “Amish Country Queer”, on the process of bringing the film to life. “Seeing these joyful depictions of queer and trans people [within Pappas’ work] was such a departure from a lot of the depictions I grew up with that made me internalize being queer as a punishment.” Brady says of what inspired them to make a documentary on Pappas and her community. “I was so scared that this story was only going to resonate for South Central Pennsylvanians. But it turns out the story of queer joy and resilience, of turning our pain into power, is something that everyone loves.”
On making the films in the heart of rural Pennsylvania, Brady says that “We weren’t sure what we were walking into. Some of my crew was a little hesitant, because we’re coming in with a lot of stereotypes about how conservative the area can be, but it ended up not being like that at all. I was profoundly moved by the generosity of the community there. Queer or not, locals wanted to be a part of something good and hopeful, which was so beautiful to me.” However, there were some obstacles. “There were some people who didn’t want to touch [Pappas] because they were scared of public outcry, we had some difficulty collaborating with some of the churches in the area.” In spite of it all, Brady says the experience was “far more positive than anything else.”
In addition to racking up accolades, including three separate Best Documentary awards, the film’s success has inspired Brady to expand “Amish Country Queer” into a feature highlighting dozens of queer and trans icons within Lancaster’s nightlife. “It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.” Brady says of working with Pappas on a feature length documentary. “There were so many interviews or moments we captured together where I was just thinking ‘I’ve never seen that in a film. I love that we’re talking about this’ [Pappas] is so thoughtful about what the gender and sexuality spectrums can encapsulate.” Pappas’ ‘Tulle Queer’ portrait series, which is showcased in the film, will also be available for viewing in a popup following the screenings. “The feature will include a lot of the important icons of Brady’s life we couldn’t fit into the short, lots of local drag queens like Neveah Le’Vixxen, the Stackhouses, Charlize Angelz. It goes into all of their stories about coming out and queer life in Lancaster. We’ll show a teaser of all of this following the Fringe screening, so people can see all of those amazing aspects on the 17th.”
“Amish Country Queer: A Night of Film, Art, & Drag” will be showing at 5:00 and 7:00 PM at the Asian Arts Initiative on Sept. 17. For more information, visit the Philly Fringe website.
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