Shane Bitney Crone

Shane Bitney Crone

Shane Bitney Crone Love is Louder Campaign Photo
Born (1985-12-19) December 19, 1985
Kalispell, Montana, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles, California
Occupation Activist
Partner(s) Tom Bridegroom (2005–2011, his death)
Parent(s) Cindy K. Bitney (mother)
David L. Crone (father)

Shane Bitney Crone (born December 19, 1985) is an American filmmaker, writer, speaker, and advocate for LGBT rights.

Early life

Crone was born in Kalispell, Montana. He moved to Los Angeles after high school graduation.

"It Could Happen to You"

Crone made headlines in May 2012 when he released a video on YouTube titled "It Could Happen to You," in which he spoke of the devastation he faced after the unexpected death of his longtime life partner, Tom Bridegroom (Born: April 22, 1982, Knox, Indiana Died: May 7, 2011, Los Angeles, California), a year earlier. Bridegroom was an actor and songwriter who hosted the TV series The X Effect. While Crone's own family was loving and accepting of his sexual orientation, Bridegroom's family was not, and had gone so far as to threaten Tom with physical violence and to blame Crone for "making" Tom gay. After Bridegroom accidentally fell to his death while photographing his friend Alexandra Grossi on the roof her four-story apartment building in the Silverlake-Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, Crone was threatened with physical violence if he attended Bridegroom's funeral and was not mentioned in Bridegroom's obituary or memorial service. Crone had also been denied hospital visitations and other rights accorded married couples because he was not recognized as Bridegroom's partner or family.[1]

Crone's emotional plea for rights for same-sex couples became one of the most widely viewed clips on YouTube shortly after its release. Crone was stunned and gratified by the reception to his video, and told RadarOnline.com he made the video as a form of therapy to help him deal with his loss and to further positive change for same-sex couples in the United States.[2]

Bridegroom

Bridegroom, a documentary directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, based on the story of Crone's and Bridegroom's relationship and the difficulties Crone faced after his partner's death, premiered on April 23, 2013, at the Tribeca Film Festival. Bridegroom was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton, who introduced the documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival. In his remarks, Clinton stated, “This is really, on one level, a wonderful, sad, heartbreaking yet exhilarating and life-affirming story ... and on another level, it’s a story about our nation’s struggle to make one more step in forming a more perfect union, for which marriage is both the symbol and substance.”[3] Bridegroom won the Tribeca Film Festival Audience's non-fiction award.[4]

Bridegroom has been positively reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and Variety. "The documentary 'Bridegroom,' written and directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (of Designing Women fame), is a poignant, powerful tale of first love and untimely death as well as a practical, frankly undeniable, plea for marriage equality.... Despite the pain, sadness and vast emotional upheaval depicted here, Bridegroom is also a movie filled with hope and passion, dignity and pride, and many stirring pockets of joy."[5]

Another critic wrote: "Inspired by a viral YouTube video and deftly directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (Designing Women), Bridegroom is about an unmarried gay couple in their 20s and what happens when one of them dies. That’s the simple summary of this simply told but exceptionally moving documentary. What 'Bridegroom' celebrates is not simply gay rights; it’s the human spirit."[6] Another review stated, "For many, it’s precisely the sort of emotional eye-opener needed for young people to find inspiration and naysayers to reconsider their attitudes.".[7] The reviewer went on to say, "In lieu of telling the story via simple white captions, the documentary relies on straightforward talking-head interviews with Crone’s family and the couple’s shared circle of friends, who describe how these two closeted small-town guys clicked when they met in Los Angeles, quickly forming the kind of relationship that romantics everywhere envy."

After reaching many over the course of a summer-long festival run, during which it earned audience awards at Tribeca and four other sprocket operas, the touching documentary opened on October 4, 2013, in New York City, to be followed by a few other theatrical stops.[7]

Personal life

On February 15, 2016, Crone announced that he is in a relationship with American Idol finalist Rayvon Owen.[8] He is also featured as the romantic lead in Owen's music video "Can't Fight It."

References

  1. ↑ "YouTube - IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU". youtube.com. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  2. ↑ "The 10-Minute Video That May Change Your Life," GoPride.com, http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/29206816. Posted 9 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Tribeca: President Clinton Introduces Marriage Equality Doc 'Bridegroom'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  4. ↑ "Tribeca 2013: 'Rocket,' 'Bridegroom' win fest's audience prizes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  5. ↑ "Review: 'Bridegroom' a poignant tale of gay partner's loss". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  6. ↑ DeWitt, David (2013-10-03). "A Heartbreaking Loss for One and All: 'Bridegroom,' About an Unmarried Gay Couple". The New York Times.
  7. 1 2 "‘Bridegroom’ Review: Kickstarter Empowers Outsider Story of Gay Couple". Variety. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  8. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/ShaneBitneyCroneOfficial/posts/951697144911104
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