I Was Born This Way

About I Was Born This Way

Surviving childhood abuse during his upbringing in Baltimore, Archbishop Carl Bean forged a path to New York and Hollywood to do the one thing he knew he was put on earth to do: sing. Making his mark first as a gospel singer, Bean got the break of his life when Motown tapped him in 1977 to record the disco song “I Was Born This Way,” which quickly became the first gay anthem at a time when it was…

I Was Born This Way (2025) is a documentary music film directed by Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard.

Carl Bean stars as Self (archive footage), Billy Porter as Self, Questlove as Self, and Lady Gaga as Self. It runs 100 minutes and was released in June 2025.