Shane Bitney Crones story BRIDEGROOM Movie Coming Soon
made by Shane Bitney Crone in response to the accidental death of his
boyfriend Tom Bridegroom. The video went viral. It was a tribute to their love chronicled what happened to
Shane after Tom’s sudden death has been viewed more than 3.6 million
times, and still climbing.
1986, my mother was diagnosed with AIDS, after receiving a contaminated
blood transfusion. This occurred just as the pilot for “Designing
Women” was getting underway. As I wrote much of the first season,
sitting beside my mom, I was witness to the incredible prejudice and
prevailing ignorance inflicted not just on her, but all the homosexual
men who shared her hospital floor. Because of this, I was honored to
write the Emmy nominated DW episode, “Killing all the Right People,”
which was television’s first scripted show to tackle the hateful
prejudice surrounding gays and AIDS.
Little did I
know that I would someday be provided with another opportunity to
address this same kind of bigotry. It all began when I attended a gay
wedding ceremony in Palm Springs, California. That night, a couple of
unforgettable, young men named Shane and Tom joined my table. I learned
they were “Designing Women” fans, madly in love and literally brimming
with all their big plans for an exciting life together. Sadly, that
possibility ended when Tom was killed in an accident last year. When I
heard the news, I was haunted by the sheer weight of Shane’s loss. Even
though I barely knew them, their good-hearted demeanors and earnest
love had made an indelible impression on me.
Then, a few weeks
ago, I saw Shane’s YouTube posting, along with his bone crushing grief
and the story of what happened to him after Tom’s death—and all because
they were never allowed to marry. Like so many others who saw this
video, I was deeply touched. And angered. I called Shane told him I
wanted to make a documentary that would tell his and Tom’s love story
from beginning to end. I have now seen all of Shane and Tom’s videos
and home movies. Like a lot of young people, they routinely documented
their lives—but this recorded history is so prolific, it almost seems as
though they had a premonition or unconscious fear of not getting to
live out something important.”
The kickstarter campaign went viral! With the incredible support from influential people like Brad and George
Takei and Neil Patrick Harris, Bridegroom was successfully funded on
July 19, 2012 by over 6,500 people on Kickstarter.com becoming the most
funded documentary in the history of crowd funding.
And now the movie has been made. Shane says, “”It has been said that sharing personal stories is one of the most
effective ways to change people’s hearts and minds. This is my story and
I hope you are inspired to share it with others.”
