AFTER STONEWALL: FROM THE RIOTS TO THE MILLENNIUM (TV)
Summary
This documentary sequel to the 1986 Emmy Award-winning "Before Stonewall" uses archival footage and interviews to chart the growth of the gay movement in the three decades since the 1969 uprising at Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn bar.
Narrated by Melissa Etheridge, the production opens with a newsreel of the Stonewall riots, accompanied by recollections of participants, including gay activist Harry Hay. Next, gays and lesbians reveal how they "came out," including Springfield, Massachusetts police officer Mike Carney, Congressman Barney Frank, and novelist Dorothy Allison. The rise of the Gay Liberation Front is charted, along with the consequent formation of the Gay Activists Alliance. The groups' initial actions and goals, such as having psychiatrists declare that being gay "isn't a sickness," are recounted.
Filmmaker Pratibha Parmar talks about how she "came to consciousness" about her lesbian sexuality by participating in the women's movement and feminist movement of the early '70s. Allison tells how lesbians thrived in that period, despite Betty Friedan labeling them as "the lavender menace." Novelist Rita Mae Brown tells how being a lesbian got her thrown out of the National Organization for Women. She also recalls how her first book, "Rubyfruit Jungle" got published.
Author Armistead Maupin discusses how San Francisco became a haven for gays, and what drew them to the city. Playwright Craig Lucas addresses how the gay social scene evolved during the era of disco, after which playwright Larry Kramer comments on the historical significance of New York City's Continental Baths, where he first saw Bette Midler perform. Historian Barbara Smith then tells about the division between black and white lesbians in the '70s, and how the groups didn't want to work together at first.
Political accomplishments are addressed as Elaine Noble discusses the animosity she faced in 1974 as the first lesbian to be elected to the Massachusetts state legislature. News footage documents openly gay Harvey Milk's election as a city supervisor in San Francisco, as well as Miami's passage of a gay ordinance in 1977, leading to singer Anita Bryant's crusade against "the evils" of a gay lifestyle. Reverend Mel White tells how Bryant "turned gay-bashing into an art form," leading to a climate of fear and hate as the religious right's campaign against the gay community flourished. New York City Council member Phil Reed talks about his days in San Francisco and his reaction to Milk's assassination. Former child actress Sheila James Kuehl later comments on being an openly gay politician in California, as well as her early fame on TV's "Dobie Gillis" show.
The onset of AIDS in the early '80s is discussed by Lucas, after which Reed recalls finding out that he had HIV. News footage is shown of President Ronald Reagan and Rev. Jerry Falwell speaking against the "alternative lifestyle" of homosexuals, with Kramer and activist Maxine Wolfe telling about the effects on the national mindset. Activist Karla Jay tells how the mounting deaths from AIDS weren't treated as a health epidemic since gay men accounted for most of the victims. Archival footage about the death of actor Rock Hudson from AIDS shows how the disease finally made front-page news.
The consequent birth in 1987 of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) and similar radical groups is recounted by Wolfe, as well as results produced by the group's actions. The significance of the NAMES Project Memorial AIDS Quilt being laid out on the Washington D.C. Mall is recalled by various visitors, including Carney. Author Leslea Newman then speaks on the controversy that erupted when she wrote a children's book, "Heather Has Two Mommies."
Historian Neil Miller tells how the activist group Queer Nation developed in the '90s. Footage of Bill Clinton courting the gay vote in his 1992 presidential bid is followed by Clinton's attempt to lift the ban on gays in the military. The resulting compromise -- the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy -- is addressed by Clinton political adviser David Mixner, who calls it a betrayal. He then recalls being arrested during a "Don't Ask, Don't tell" protest in front of the White House. Mixner also tells how Clinton "shamefully" went on to sign legislation declaring it illegal for gays and lesbians to marry. Next, social reforms that took place after the emergence of gay celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres are charted.
The 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, is addressed by Frank, who tells how pervasive biases against gays remain an issue. Global progress is addressed as Bishop Desmond Tutu is shown in news footage advocating for gay rights in South Africa. Along with footage of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the program concludes with accounts of recent accomplishments by gays and lesbians.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: June 23, 1999 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:46
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:74638
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Gays - Politics and suffrage; LGBTQ+ Collection
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV, 1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Vic Basile … Executive Producer
- John Scagliotti … Executive Producer, Director, Writer
- Andrew Reyes … Co-Executive Producer
- Lesli Klainberg … Coordinating Producer
- Janet W. DeBaus … Co-Producer
- Dan Hunt … Co-Producer
- D.J. White … Associate Producer
- Andrew Podell … Writer
- Don DiNicola … Music by
- Melissa Etheridge … Narrator
- Dorothy Allison
- Rita Mae Brown
- Anita Bryant
- Mike Carney
- Bill Clinton
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Jerry Falwell
- Barney Frank
- Betty Friedan
- Harry Hay
- Rock Hudson
- Karla Jay
- Larry Kramer
- Sheila James Kuehl (See also: Sheila James)
- Craig Lucas
- Armistead Maupin
- Bette Midler
- Harvey Milk
- Neil Miller
- David Mixner
- Leslea Newman
- Elaine Noble
- Pratibha Parmar
- Ronald Reagan
- Phil Reed
- Matthew Shepard
- Barbara Smith
- Desmond Tutu
- Mel White
- Maxine Wolfe