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Bayard Rustin at the March on Washington office in 1963. Rustin was a visionary activist and strategist who lived openly as a gay man during the homophobic 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. COURTESY WHBPAC
The award-winning documentary “Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin” will be screened at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Monday, August 25, at 7:30 p.m. The film, five years in the making and winner of more than 20 international awards, illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin (1912–1987), a visionary activist and strategist who lived openly as a gay man during the fiercely homophobic 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
A disciple of Gandhi and a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin was the principal architect and chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedon. The 62nd anniversary of the march falls on August 28.
Directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer and executive produced by Sam Pollard, “Brother Outsider” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film chronicles Rustin’s lifelong advocacy for racial and economic justice, peace, and equality for LGBTQ Americans, while examining the reasons behind his erasure from mainstream history.
Since its debut, “Brother Outsider” has been screened at more than 500 community and campus events and by organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Campaign. It has also been shown at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, WorldPride 2025, the United Nations, the Kennedy Center, the EEOC, and FBI headquarters, as well as in India, South Africa, Botswana, Poland, Italy, Iceland and Kazakhstan.
A post-screening Q&A will feature co‑director Bennett Singer, Rustin’s life partner Walter Naegle and other distinguished guests. The film is presented in partnership with Hamptons Pride. Tickets are $23.
The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit whbpac.org.
Staff Writer on Aug 10, 2025