PHOTOS: Changing the Tide for Gay Surfers

After 20 years of silence, Australian surfer David Wakefield came out at the Sydney Mardi Gras parade. He had been encouraged onward by Thomas Castets, founder of an online community for gay surfers. Then together they set out to force conversation about why LGBT surfers feel the need to stay hidden.

In a new documentary, Out In the Line-up, Wakefield and Thomas go from the east coast of Australia to Hawaii, California, Mexico, and the Galapagos Islands and meet and surf with people while hearing their stories. They meet a gay three-time world champion, an award-winning big wave rider, and even a former U.S. congressman. Wakefield and Castets also meet everyday surfers, gay and straight, who inspire them with tales of self-empowerment. What they hope is that sharing these stories will tap into surfing's grassroots values of freedom of spirit and open-mindedness to create a change in surf culture.

See a few images from the film below:

June Screening Dates:
* Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival
June 13 at 6 p.m.
* The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival (Frameline)
June 27 at 7 p.m.

More information at gaysurfers.net and outinthelineup.com