I’m profoundly proud to create THERE ARE THINGS TO DO (18 min), a documentary about Urvashi Vaid and her life in Provincetown, MA. Urvashi was one of the most important LGBTQ+ activists of our lifetime, yet most people have not heard of her. She was one of early pioneers in the gay rights movement leading change for over four decades and inspiring generations of activist.

Urvashi worked visibly on national platforms. In 1993 she was one of the keynote speakers at the 1993 LGBTQ March on Washington, speaking in front of 1 million people. However, she firmly believed the effectiveness of activism is rooted at the community level and she lived by that motto in Provincetown. “All change starts local as that is where we live and where communities are formed.”

The film title is based on the name of the last chapter in Urvashi’s book Virtual Equality, a visionary plan for the future of LGBTQ activism. Written in Provincetown in 1993, her vision for “the movement,” is a road map of initiatives that progressives continue to work for today. The film is also a love story between Urvashi & her partner of 34 years Kate Clinton, the renown LGBTQ comedian/activist/author. Provincetown was a place for Urvashi to recharge as she went out into the world to do her movement leading work.

Urvashi passed away at age 63 in May 2022 from breast cancer and if you ‘Google’ her name you will find hundreds of articles on her passing & lifetime work in outlets from The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, etc., as well as posts countless LGBTQ+ non profit organizations. She has been honored by a long list of organizations and mentored some of the most important gay rights leaders of our time. There’s a campaign to put Urvashi on a United States postage stamp.

This is the first documentary made about Urvashi since her passing and includes historic archival video some of which has never been seen before from public and private archives, including footage from the archives of LGBTQ activist Tim McCarthy. .

The film premiered at the 25th Provincetown International Film Festival with five full house screenings, receiving praise from audiences and media alike. As Roger Walker-Dack film reviewer from QueerGuru.com says “You’ll regret you’ve not done more yourself, and you’ll regret you didn’t know more of her. You’ll have a good cry and then you’ll want to move to Provincetown.”

My goal, as we embark on a social impact campaign, is that the film presents tools for a new generation of activists and as a reminder “there are things to do” for all of us in championing equal rights for LGBTQ people everywhere. And, that the best place to start is at home