(RNS) — Nia and Katie Chiaramonte’s romance started in eighth grade at a private Christian school in their hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. At 17, they officially started dating and rapidly tied the knot. After their marriage, the couple had four biological kids and adopted one.Until recently, the family lived in their house in Des Moines, close to their friends and family, and served actively in their local church.
Then in 2018, Nia came out as a transgender woman.
Nia’s identity first sparked tensions with her parents, with whom she has no contact today. Then, it became a problem in the nondenominational evangelical church the family attended for years.
Their love for each other has only grown more profound in the years since, they told RNS in an interview, and their kids accepted Nia’s transition, coming up with a new title for her: Momo.
Ultimately, the couple chose to leave Iowa and relocate to the West Coast.
Katie and Nia Chiaramonte are highlighted in a poster for “We Live Here: The Midwest.” (Courtesy Hulu)
The Chiaramontes are featured in “We Live Here: The Midwest,” a documentary profiling queer families and individuals grappling with their identity in a region of the country that leans more conservative and traditional.
The documentary, which premieres Dec. 6 on Hulu, aims to capture a tense moment in the country’s acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, as “anti-queer legislation and sentiment is rapidly multiplying across the country,” according to the film’s website. In addition to four queer couples, the film also shares the story of nonbinary students and Minnesota State Representative Heather Keeler.
For director and producer Melinda Maerker, the film needed to show the tension between queer identity and religious faith. For two of the couples featured, the documentary highlights their struggle to remain attached to their faith, given the harm the religious community caused them — intentionally or not.
The Midwest is the heart of American family values, explained Maerker.
“There is definitely an evangelical influence here. We were curious to see how queer families navigated that,” Maerker told RNS.
Growing up, Nia and Katie bonded over their shared experience as “church kids.” The Sunday services, the weekly Bible study groups and the children’s church were all important parts of their lives, they said.
Nia, whose church was more charismatic than Katie’s, said her religious upbringing made her the woman and the mother she is. Katie was an active volunteer at their chu …
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Then in 2018, Nia came out as a transgender woman.
Nia’s identity first sparked tensions with her parents, with whom she has no contact today. Then, it became a problem in the nondenominational evangelical church the family attended for years.
Their love for each other has only grown more profound in the years since, they told RNS in an interview, and their kids accepted Nia’s transition, coming up with a new title for her: Momo.
Ultimately, the couple chose to leave Iowa and relocate to the West Coast.
Katie and Nia Chiaramonte are highlighted in a poster for “We Live Here: The Midwest.” (Courtesy Hulu)
The Chiaramontes are featured in “We Live Here: The Midwest,” a documentary profiling queer families and individuals grappling with their identity in a region of the country that leans more conservative and traditional.
The documentary, which premieres Dec. 6 on Hulu, aims to capture a tense moment in the country’s acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, as “anti-queer legislation and sentiment is rapidly multiplying across the country,” according to the film’s website. In addition to four queer couples, the film also shares the story of nonbinary students and Minnesota State Representative Heather Keeler.
For director and producer Melinda Maerker, the film needed to show the tension between queer identity and religious faith. For two of the couples featured, the documentary highlights their struggle to remain attached to their faith, given the harm the religious community caused them — intentionally or not.
The Midwest is the heart of American family values, explained Maerker.
“There is definitely an evangelical influence here. We were curious to see how queer families navigated that,” Maerker told RNS.
Growing up, Nia and Katie bonded over their shared experience as “church kids.” The Sunday services, the weekly Bible study groups and the children’s church were all important parts of their lives, they said.
Nia, whose church was more charismatic than Katie’s, said her religious upbringing made her the woman and the mother she is. Katie was an active volunteer at their chu …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]