A new documentary suggests Thelma Houston was part of a secret conspiracy to liberate women, gays and blacks in the '70s.
But the disco queen says that's news to her.
Houston is among several music icons who appear in the tongue-in-cheek film The Secret Disco Revolution, debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.
Canadian director Jamie Kastner suggests the era's music was far from just a vapid backdrop for dancing and debauchery.
He points to historians who suggest it has political heft - one academic suggests Saturday Night Fever is a deeply feminist film while another says the roots of revolutionary disco can be traced to Nazi-occupied France.
But he admits the theory is contested by most of the hitmakers from that era.
The Secret Disco Revolution includes interviews with disco stars Gloria Gaynor, Kool and the Gang, the Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs until Sept. 16.
"This is all very funny to me because it was just a time to me of good music, people dancing and having a great time," says Houston, most famous for her smash, Don't Leave Me This Way.
"And of course there were other things that were going on but that's how I saw it and that was a big part of my career jumping off, pretty much."
Still, Houston does admit to embracing an ardent gay audience.
"I've done just about every gay pride [parade] there is, and I've been the grand marshal at most of them," she laughs during a stop in Toronto on Friday to promote the film.
The Secret Disco Revolution also includes interviews with insiders including Studio 54 publicist Carmen D'Alessio, Casablanca Records VP Larry Harris, Village Voice columnist Michael Musto and former Studio 54 DJ Nicky Siano.
