Accidental Activists

Accidental Activists is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Mandi Wright. It was written and produced by Kathy Kieliszewski, in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press. The film follows April DeBoer and her partner Jayne Rowse, who went to court and challenged the state of Michigan's adoption law. When the judge told them they would lose their case, he suggested they instead challenge the state's same-sex marriage ban. They consider themselves "accidental activists," meaning they filed lawsuits not to further a cause, but because of the way the bans affected their lives. The documentary premiered on April 2, 2016, at the Freep Film Festival, and went on to screen at several other film fests around the country. It was later shown on Detroit Public TV.