Man Who Came Out as Gay at 90, Once-Closeted 29-Year Military Vet Share Their Stories in New 'Late to the Party' Doc
ABC News Studio's upcoming documentary special Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life showcases people in the LGBTQ+ community who came out as older adults
Interview subjects include a man who came out as gay when he was 90 years old, a retired Baptist priest and a military veteran
The documentary premieres June 6 on ABC and streams the following day on HuluIt's never too late to live your truth.
ABC News Studio's upcoming documentary special Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life showcases people in the LGBTQ+ community who came out as older adults, and PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the trailer.
Late to the Party will air on June 6. The release date is timed to Pride Month, which is celebrated throughout June in the United States to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising. The special will first debut on ABC before streaming on Hulu the following day.
The documentary follows writer Charles Blow, 54, who came out as bisexual in his 40s, as he speaks with an array of individuals about their coming-out journeys and current lives. One of the subjects is a man who came out as gay when he was 90 years old.
"Well, let me tell you," he begins to say in the trailer before the scene cuts.
Others include a retired Baptist priest and a military veteran.
"All around the country, people in mid-to-late life are coming out of the closet," Blow says at the beginning of the trailer, followed by snippets of people's personal accounts.
"I was in the military for 29 years. For me, being gay wasn't an option," one man says. Another recalls "hiding so many things" prior to coming out.
"I was the only openly African American Baptist acknowledging my sexuality," a third man reveals. "It was just like, 'Oh, did he just serve us some tea?' "
More emotional stories are teased as a young woman tearfully embraces her father after he calls her "brave," and snapshots of an intimate gathering attended by people in same-sex relationships fill the screen.
Blow concludes the trailer with a sweet message to viewers: "Coming out late in life, you are not alone. And you are fine, just the way you are."
The documentary is produced by World of Wonder — the Emmy Award-winning team behind RuPaul's Drag Race, with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Jeremy Simmons and Melia Patria serving as executive producers. David Sloan is a senior executive producer, and Blow is a consulting producer.
"We're so proud to celebrate not only the resilience and strength of our community, but also the incredible progress that has been made over the decades," Bailey and Barbato say in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. "We are honored to partner with ABC News Studios and have Charles at the forefront of this project, sharing his transformative story of self-love and acceptance that can inspire us all."
Sloan adds in an exclusive statement that the show "is a deeply moving exploration of identity, courage and authenticity that reminds us it's never too late to live your truth." He continues, "Highlighting the journeys of those who come out later in life is not only important — it's profoundly inspiring."
"Through highly intimate, emotional stories, viewers will learn about the challenges that kept older generations in the closet and celebrate with them as they experience the joy of being out and proud for the first time later in life, ultimately learning it's never too late to find acceptance, community and true self-love," the synopsis teases.
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Last June, Blow spoke to several individuals who came out later in life for The New York Times.
"I came out when I was about 40 years old," he said, reflecting on his own journey. "And it was a strange experience because it felt a little bit like you were a person out of time — that people around you had done what you were doing much earlier; they experienced the same feelings that you were experiencing as an older person, earlier."
Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life airs June 6 at 8/7c on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
Read the original article on People
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