Over the last few days, we have received messages of concern from members of our community about our sponsorship arrangement with The Crossing, a local church. This feedback adds to ongoing internal conversations about our organizational values and how they connect with those of our sponsors and partners. 

For over a decade, the Ragtag Film Society (RFS) has partnered with The Crossing. From the beginning, both organizations have acknowledged our differences, but forged an unlikely partnership based on a shared hope that we can facilitate conversation around challenging issues. 

We know that our values and beliefs will never align completely with any sponsor or individual; rather, we aim to find territory where our values overlap. Some of the differences between our organizational values and those of The Crossing, particularly as it relates to our LGBTQIA community, have come into starker focus this week. 

Earlier this year, working with Board members, Cinema staff, and members of the True/False Core, our organization adopted a new mission statement and articulated a set of core values. Today, we explicitly affirm our stated value of Inclusivity, and specifically emphasize that we honor the dignity of every human and do not support discrimination in any form. Our executive leadership team, comprised of people across the spectrum of gender, religion, and sexuality, is actively listening to feedback from our community and evaluating our sponsorship relationship with The Crossing in light of all four of our core values. As our organization evolves, our partnership with The Crossing may also evolve.

Building community and fostering dialogue is at the heart of everything we have done as an organization. That has not changed. As we continue to seek fruitful relationships with our entire community, we welcome any and all feedback about this and other partnerships.

Ragtag Film Society Core Values

To provide feedback, please reach out directly to leadership: Barbie Banks, Camellia Cosgray, and Jeremy Brown