By: Massimo Ranieri
The Fireflies: Women in Film club at Brooklyn College (BC) are building community by bringing together marginalized voices. The Fireflies joined the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance (LGBTA) in hosting a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” themed mixer on Oct. 14. The film, a queer cult classic, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
As a young organization, the Fireflies had difficulty securing a permanent space for their club this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from creating a presence within the West End Building (WEB).
“All this is essentially our space,” said secretary Kat Rodriguez, gesturing toward the common area outside the WEB equipment lab and screening rooms. “We don’t have a room, but you can always catch us around here.”
With the common area decorated for the mixer, students chatted about “Rocky Horror” while enjoying pizza and snacks. Some had never seen the film, while others arrived in costume as some of its characters—particularly antagonist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry. The bisexual character is part of what made the film “revolutionary,” according to Rodriguez. “[The film] was not afraid to have a queer and trans antagonist, who was not evil because of their queerness and transness—they were evil because they were evil!”
Released in 1975, “Rocky Horror” is a horror-comedy musical film based on a British stage musical that premiered two years earlier. The movie lovingly parodies horror B-movies of the 50s and 60s, such as “The Curse of Frankenstein” and “The Brides of Dracula.” The film follows Dr. Frank-N-Furter as he seduces a young engaged couple and introduces them to his recent scientific creation: Rocky, a muscle man with half a brain.
Although “Rocky Horror” was released to largely negative reviews, the campy tale took on a second life at midnight movie screenings, where audience members would talk back to the characters on screen. Eventually, fans began staging simultaneous performances of the film as it was projected in theaters. These performances became a site of community for LGBTQ fans and allies alike.
“I think ‘Rocky Horror’ is a really interesting cultural phenomenon. It came out in a time that was much more conservative, but people loved this film and would dress up and get into it. Even people that weren’t queer,” said Shannon Cooper, a BC freshman who attended the mixer.
The Fireflies are forging those same kinds of connections between BC students of different backgrounds. Their focus is on the underrepresentation of women in the film industry. In 2024, the entertainment industry magazine “Variety” reported that “women accounted for just 16% of directors working on the 250 highest-grossing domestic releases.” But the Fireflies are also conscious of how gender intersects with sexuality and race.
That goal was why the club’s “Meet the E-Board” event last month doubled as a discussion about the Hays Code with journalist Rebecca VanderKooi. The Hays Code was a set of guidelines applied to American film studios between 1934 and 1968, restricting depictions of relationships that strayed from traditional values. The code censored queer and interracial relationships and generally limited what kinds of behaviors could be depicted on screen.
“We talked about how the Hays Code affects women and queer people. How it’s affected us historically and how it still affects us now,” Rodriguez said. As for how marginalized people can overcome the impacts of censorship and oppression, she added, “your voice is the strongest tool you have, especially in the current climate we’re living in. And I feel like now it’s more important than ever to fully utilize it.”
Whether they were drawn in through social media, word of mouth, or the posters put up around campus, students came away from the “Rocky Horror” mixer with new connections and a new appreciation for one piece of queer film history.
The Fireflies are looking forward to hosting more events throughout the academic year. They also plan to continue working with other BC clubs that center marginalized voices. In the future, they hope to collaborate with the Student Organization for Every Disability United for Progress (SOFEDUP) on an event that centers on disability in film.
Throughout the year, the Fireflies “want to do more than just film screenings,” Rodriguez said. “We want to start engaging conversations.”
Students interested in joining The Fireflies can follow their Instagram: @firefliesbc.