1946 Film Screening and Director Q&A

In 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE, Sharon “Rocky” Roggio combines personal experiences with thrilling historical exploration to uncover one of the greatest mysteries of our time, forever shifting our understanding of the Bible. The documentary follows the story of tireless researchers, Kathy Baldock and Ed Oxford, who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation in the biblical text. They find that the Revised Standard Version, published in 1946 was the first time the word “homosexual” appeared in any Bible, in any translation. The documentary also chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ bias.

Besides Roggio, the film also includes expert interfaith testimony from Reverend Dr. Cheryl Anderson (Professor Emer. of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary), Rabbi Steve Greenberg (Orthodox Rabbi), Reverend Dr. Angela Parker (Asst. Professor of New Testament Greek, Mercer University), Dr. Trevor W. Thompson (New Testament Greek Scholar), and Dr. David Potter (Professor of Greek and Roman History, University of Michigan). Roggio also served as a producer alongside Jena Serbu. Executive Producers include Todd and Teresa Silver, Daniel Karslake, Jun and Drew Young, and Sabrina Merage Naim. Grammy nominee Mary Lambert (‘Same Love’) composed the score for the film.

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture received 20 awards including the Audience Award at the 2022 DOC NYC Film Festival and The Cleveland International Film Festival, Best of Fest at the 2023 edition of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2023 Hot Spring Docs Audience Award, and 2023 OUTfest LA’s Audience Award for Best Documentary.

This is a free event open to LSE and UCL students and staff only. When registering, please use your LSE or UCL email to register. Registrations under personal email addresses will be disregarded. The venue will be released to ticket-holders only.

Meet the director

1946’s director, Sharon “Rocky” Roggio is no stranger to the implications of a life completely affected by the predominant modern interpretations of the Bible. Growing up lesbian in a Christian household, with a pastor for a father, has prepared her for this expansive undertaking. Rocky’s experience, of anti-gay biblical teachings, has been incredibly traumatic. She is a strong voice, among the growing chorus of LGBTQIA+ Christians who want to cure the world of this damaging narrative. Once Roggio learned of Kathy and Ed’s work, she was compelled to tell this story. This film is part of her attempts to reconcile a relationship with her family and begin to heal. Rocky will be joining us at the film screening for an exclusive q&a after the screening.