A series of five short documentaries produced by New York-based studio TRAVERSE32 aims to preserve New Hope’s rich LGBTQ+ history, writes Rosa Cartagena for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

One of the films, Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens, focuses on “Mother,” or Joseph (Josie) Cavallucci, a Philadelphia native who moved to New Hope in the 1950s, and fully embraced her true self. Over time, she became a local celebrity loved by many. She known for her big, bold fashion and would attend Catholic mass on Sundays wearing full drag.

And “nobody would bat an eye,” said Philadelphia filmmaker Kristal Sotomayor.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Mother Cavallucci was part of an openly gay community in New Hope that was a welcoming refuge for many.

“I grew up in Butler, a very staunchly conservative area in Pennsylvania, and I could never imagine that there was a small town, sort of rural, and accepting of queer folks,” said Sotomayor.

Mother Cavallucci opened the Raven Bar, where she often threw queer weddings – mostly with her as the bride – to raise funds for New Hope’s LGBTQ+ community. The bar was a slice of queer paradise in New Hope for almost half a century, before closing in 2019.

Read more about the film series in The Philadelphia Inquirer.