The LGBT community came a long way to gain their rights, human rights in fact, in having access to the same benefits as heterosexuals, a long struggle
for peace, respect, tolerance, visibility and dealing with injustices, homophobia, agressions and many other difficulties. After Stonewall and with a large
predominance of a gay community in San Francisco, that group decided to break into other ventures occupying other spaces where they never thought possible
before which was the world of politics and how they could improve life quality not only for themselves but for other minorities as well, and the general
population in many ways.
This 1982 special report talks about how gays and lesbians joined the political game and how important their role was in changing politics and society when it was noted that they were a strong, vocal community that could affect decisions and policies, which made them visible to a system that failed to protect them, or help them, and later on they were sought by the major political parties who asked for their support during election years. Obvious that such mobilizing force from a large and strong community helped them in a great way, and with the LGBT inclusion in political spaces now they have their own representants in many places.
Many places around the world learned through the experience that took place in San Francisco, first with Harvey Milk being elected as the first gay supervisor and politician to take office and the whole legacy of pride and honor he spread with gay people, and at the time of the film another gay supervisor was elected and a lesbian had an important job on the police force. For the more comfortable of us now looking back at a different time when prejudice and homophobia was rampant on all sectors of society, from uncalled police attacks to homophobic people and religious leaders spreading their hatred, this special works as a time machine and a reminder of a time when fighting for equal rights was in its early stages and progresses were being made yet still far from getting plenty of things. Still we haven't reach a full potential but it's getting close.
Featured in it there are a couple of interviews with many members of the gay community talking about their experiences of facing prejudice, how they were slowly conquering spaces in public offices and becoming active to help their community and others as well; the advances that were being made and the obstacles faced by some politics that weren't so progressive enough for the cause; and that religious leader who was opposing a beneficial bill on gay rights because he honestly though that gays would have more benefits than straight people when it comes to jobs - that deserved a big eye-roll from me, if it was that easy as he says that telling the government you're gay (as a choice, not a sexual orientation) then they have to provide you with an important job, if that was the case gays would rule the world.
A strange absence here (not sure if it was an omission or the makers forgot about it) was that at no time GRID (later known as AIDS, the term was coined in 1983) it's mentioned neither the gay community alliance with congressman Phillip Burton who was one of the first to bring the topic to congress and tried to get funds for the cause (he appears briefly in the special, as part of his political campaign. For those more curious, he's a brief character in the 1993 HBO movie "And the Band Played On", played by Dakin Mathews, a movie about the AIDS crisis). And it was an obvious case that many local politicians, despite some embarassment in dealing with such topic were deeply involved in the matter because it attracted attention and money from a large group that was suffering and needed help. And that's the case when one asks if the politicians really cared about gay people, or just wanted their support, their vote and their money and build some projection. When it comes to politics it's really hard to see genuine intentions.
It's a very nice special, quite informative and a great source for audiences to look back at a different time where every small victory made a difference for the gay community. 8/10.
This 1982 special report talks about how gays and lesbians joined the political game and how important their role was in changing politics and society when it was noted that they were a strong, vocal community that could affect decisions and policies, which made them visible to a system that failed to protect them, or help them, and later on they were sought by the major political parties who asked for their support during election years. Obvious that such mobilizing force from a large and strong community helped them in a great way, and with the LGBT inclusion in political spaces now they have their own representants in many places.
Many places around the world learned through the experience that took place in San Francisco, first with Harvey Milk being elected as the first gay supervisor and politician to take office and the whole legacy of pride and honor he spread with gay people, and at the time of the film another gay supervisor was elected and a lesbian had an important job on the police force. For the more comfortable of us now looking back at a different time when prejudice and homophobia was rampant on all sectors of society, from uncalled police attacks to homophobic people and religious leaders spreading their hatred, this special works as a time machine and a reminder of a time when fighting for equal rights was in its early stages and progresses were being made yet still far from getting plenty of things. Still we haven't reach a full potential but it's getting close.
Featured in it there are a couple of interviews with many members of the gay community talking about their experiences of facing prejudice, how they were slowly conquering spaces in public offices and becoming active to help their community and others as well; the advances that were being made and the obstacles faced by some politics that weren't so progressive enough for the cause; and that religious leader who was opposing a beneficial bill on gay rights because he honestly though that gays would have more benefits than straight people when it comes to jobs - that deserved a big eye-roll from me, if it was that easy as he says that telling the government you're gay (as a choice, not a sexual orientation) then they have to provide you with an important job, if that was the case gays would rule the world.
A strange absence here (not sure if it was an omission or the makers forgot about it) was that at no time GRID (later known as AIDS, the term was coined in 1983) it's mentioned neither the gay community alliance with congressman Phillip Burton who was one of the first to bring the topic to congress and tried to get funds for the cause (he appears briefly in the special, as part of his political campaign. For those more curious, he's a brief character in the 1993 HBO movie "And the Band Played On", played by Dakin Mathews, a movie about the AIDS crisis). And it was an obvious case that many local politicians, despite some embarassment in dealing with such topic were deeply involved in the matter because it attracted attention and money from a large group that was suffering and needed help. And that's the case when one asks if the politicians really cared about gay people, or just wanted their support, their vote and their money and build some projection. When it comes to politics it's really hard to see genuine intentions.
It's a very nice special, quite informative and a great source for audiences to look back at a different time where every small victory made a difference for the gay community. 8/10.