Yet to say nonfiction filmmaking has merely documented the LGBTQ community is to sell short the work that some of the seminal documentaries listed below have accomplished. Former military personnel dismissed because of their sexuality may apply to restore honours. In The Celluloid Closet, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman examine these old-fashioned movie tropes, and take a deeper look at some of the “coded” gay roles which, during times of censorship, went under the heterosexual radar but were still impressionable on gay viewers. The 11 Best LGBT Documentaries of 2016. We all have the right to express ourselves … © 2021 Condé Nast. (Photo by ©Off White Productions/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.). There is also, of course, no way of discussing queer nonfiction cinema without calling up the urgent historiographical work of films like. Thanks to stories like Orange Is the New Black and Moonlight, more authentic portrayals of queer life are finally reaching audiences, but they are still the rarity. Similarly, aptly-titled works like Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community and Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives offer not just potent history lessons but snapshots of how Americans were conceiving of their own community-building in the years following the 1969 Stonewall riots. While being softly spoken might set a young boy apart as vulnerable to bullying during adolescence, internalized homophobia and femme-shaming are actually rife within the gay community too, where heteronormative masculinity is often perceived as the ideal. If you were ever in doubt that the queer community has always excelled at weaving gold from pain, look no further than Tig Notaro. While LGBTQ rights have progressed significantly in the last fifty years, with same-sex marriage in the United States one of the most recent landmarks, we still have a long way to go. Posted on February 18, 2021 by jillianmolenaar. Documentary about the history of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a great event happening once a year in Sydney, Australia, a celebration of gay … LGBTQ documentary films, though, can only ever offer both: portraits of individuals necessarily speak more broadly about the community they come to represent, while chronicles of a group (or a family, or a segment of the population) can only ever do so through individual testimonials and the singular vision of the filmmaker at hand. By Daniel Reynolds. As we come to the end of Pride month, it’s more important than ever that we know exactly where we come from, and remember all the outcasts and activists on whose shoulders we stand. Reading is fundamental — and so is history. With Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall coming to theaters this fall, we look back at ten essential gay movies about LGBT rights, including documentaries and dramas To look at this list of documentaries is to see the commingling of the one and the many. Similarly, aptly-titled works like. Related: How "RuPaul's Drag Race" Sashays Through LGBTQ History. The story focuses on Marsha P. Johnson, a gender-nonconforming gay liberation activist who had a prominent role in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, a seminal moment in the fight for LGBTQ rights. This 2011 documentary directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber reflects on the HIV/AIDS crisis and the impact it had on the San Francisco LGBT community.This 2013 documentary by Yoruba Richen explores the story of how the African-American community debated the marriage equality movement and the fight for LGBT rights, with interviews from clergy, family, and … There is also, of course, no way of discussing queer nonfiction cinema without calling up the urgent historiographical work of films like Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, How to Survive a Plague, and We Were Here. Subcategories. Vague support for LGBT rights in Iran has fallen to a handful of exiled political organizations. Projects like 1977’s Word is Out, which compiled testimonials from men and women about their experiences coming to terms with their sexuality and coming out, began sketching on screen what a community could and did look like. The film brings together voices from over 50 years of the LGBTQ … I Am Divine remembers this truly unique figure through conversations with her friends, family, and co-stars. Additionally the laws have received international condemnation from human rights campaigners, and media outlets that even display of LGBT symbols, such as the rainbow flag, have resulted in arrests, and incited homophobic violence, like is documented in the Channel 4 documentary Hunted which followed anti-gay groups as they lured young gay men into traps where they were … for instance, tell contemporary viewers as much about the individual stories about gay Black men presented on screen as about the communities (real and imagined) that their respective filmmakers brought to bear on their finished films. Queer cinema hinges on stories about the one and the many. Tig finds her own way to make sense of these events; by finding the humor and the light in everything, and turning it into comedy. We love a good documentary, especially an LGBTQ focused one. The art of drag is arguably the most popular it has ever been right now, thanks to the phenomenal success of RuPaul’s Drag Race. It says that Anne Bonny was from South Carolina and includes an excerpt from another source about her and Mary Read. C Documentary films about cross-dressing (5 P) Documentary films about LGBT culture (2 C, 6 P) H Documentary films about HIV/AIDS (61 P) I Documentary films about intersex (5 P) R Documentary films about LGBT … It is supposed to be a guide to primary source documents. The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) published a teachers’ guide to accompany the documentary. Forget Roland Emmerich’s whitewashed take on the Stonewall riots and stick with this profile of Marsha P. Johnson, the so-called “Mayor of Christopher Street.” Marsha was one of many queer people of color who played an integral role in the 1969 protests at the Stonewall Inn, which in turn functioned as a catalyst for the modern gay rights movement and the invention of Pride as we know it today. The Lavender Scare is the first documentary film to tell the little-known story of an unrelenting campaign by the federal government to identify and fire all employees suspected of being homosexual. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. The doc features many black and Latinx gay and trans young people, and explores how the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality create a unique culture. The Russian LGBT Rights Documentary Everybody Should Watch. Jennie Livingston spent six years chronicling the drag ball culture of New York City during the 1980s, and interviewing people from that scene’s family units, or “houses,” which were overseen by “mothers” and populated by gay and trans youth, many of whom were from communities of color or rejected by their own families. And if there’s one thing Mama Ru knows, it’s the importance of herstory; the show’s highly anticipated annual “reading” challenge is a loving homage to the documentary Paris Is Burning. In 2007, the Canadian CBC TV produced a documentary that interviewed several LGBT Iranians who talked about their struggles. In doing so, he triggered the … These projects remind us that telling the history of the AIDS crisis necessarily inverts ACT UP’s famous Silence=Death rallying cry: to memorialize those lost and to chronicle their activist fights is to refuse the erasure which so drove the early years of the crisis, both in the press and at the White House. Teen Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Queer cinema hinges on stories about the one and the many. Ad Choices. image caption Pope Francis' statements are a departure from previous comments about LGBT rights Pope Francis has said that he thinks same-sex couples should be allowed to have "civil unions". The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. More transgender documentaries are popping up in recent years which explores newer surgical and hormonal treatments and options available. Stonewall Forever is a documentary from NYC’s LGBT Community Center directed by Ro Haber. December 21 2016 6:45 AM EST. Once again, Happy Pride Month! The film brings together voices from over 50 years of the LGBTQ rights movement to explore queer activism before, during and after the Stonewall Riots. Strike a Pose. All rights reserved. Here are some of the year's best films about true LGBT stories. Paris is Burning (1990) – Regarded as one of the most essential LGBTQ documentaries made to date, Paris is Burning explores the ball culture and drag house system of New York City in the late '80s. The first season covers different aspects of gay life in the United States, Japan, Jamaica, and Brazil, as well as a moving special presentation in which Ellen and Ian visit Orlando to pay their respects in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting. In this section about … And what better way to start than with a movie marathon? In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed its first resolution recognizing LGBT rights, following which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report documenting violations of the rights of LGBT people, including hate crimes, criminalization of homosexual activity, and discrimination. Projects like 1977’s, which compiled testimonials from men and women about their experiences coming to terms with their sexuality and coming out, began sketching on screen what a community could and did look like. For years, any LGBTQ character in a Hollywood film would be little more than a stereotype; the sissy, the vampy bisexual femme fatale, the tragically doomed trans woman. Here are our 30 essential LGBTQ documentaries, in order of release. https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/lgbtq-documentaries Viewers get an inside look at Zoey's family life, including interviews with her older sister and mother Ofelia who have stood behind Zoey. It is an excellent resource for your GSA and school library. Yet to say nonfiction filmmaking has merely documented the LGBTQ community is to sell short the work that some of the seminal documentaries listed below have accomplished. Ex-Hull City youth player Thomas Beattie, who came out as gay … All rights reserved. It chronicles many of the struggles that trans youth face, including a teacher at her school that made fun of her during class and administrators asking that she transfer. Last year, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film … Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment. offer not just potent history lessons but snapshots of how Americans were conceiving of their own community-building in the years following the 1969 Stonewall riots. But in the end, it's a film that depicts a family's unwavering support. We’re living in a world after the Pulse tragedy, where the spaces we carved out for ourselves are necessities, and where it is more vital than ever before that we truly begin to understand each other as a community. In 1953, President Eisenhower declared gay men and lesbians to be a threat to the security of the country and therefore unfit for government service. The 10 Best Documentaries About Gay Rights and LGBT History. Pride celebrates the LGBTI movement in all its diversity, and amplifies the call to respect and protect LGBTI rights. The Day It Snowed In Miami is an Emmy-winning LGBT rights documentary co-presented by the Miami Herald and WPBT-2. LGBTQ documentary films, though, can only ever offer both: portraits of individuals necessarily speak more broadly about the community they come to represent, while chronicles of a group (or a family, or a segment of the population) can only ever do so through individual testimonials and the singular vision of the filmmaker at hand. This funny, insightful film explores the complex relationship that some gay men have with their voices. The documentary is available for purchase through various retail and online stores for about $10. This Viceland series sees actress and queer activist Ellen Page hit the road with her best friend Ian Daniel to find out how LGBTQ cultures vary around the world. The following list of LGBTQ documentaries offers us windows into the past, allowing us glimpses into moments made worthy by their mere documentation. Featuring a thoughtful, tour-de-force performance by Sean Penn (Oscar’s choice for Best Actor), director Gus Van Sant’s biopic of civil rights icon Harvey Milk — the first openly gay … Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. This category has the following 10 subcategories, out of 10 total. Copyright © 2018 Fandango. These projects remind us that telling the history of the AIDS crisis necessarily inverts ACT UP’s famous Silence=Death rallying cry: to memorialize those lost and to chronicle their activist fights is to refuse the erasure which so drove the early years of the crisis, both in the press and at the White House. These films tell the true stories not just of the struggles faced by LGBTQ people over the years, but of the pioneers and provocateurs who prove that being who you are and loving who you love can be revolutionary acts. These Are the 18 Best LGBTQ Movies You Can Stream on Netflix Right Now From powerful documentaries to touching rom coms, the catalog of LGBTQ … LGBT-related (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) documentary films. With the exception of South Africa and Cape Verde, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are limited in comparison to Western Europe and much of the Americas and Oceania.. Out of the 54 states recognised by the United Nations or African Union or both, the International Gay and Lesbian Association stated in 2015 that homosexuality is outlawed in 34 … Drag queen, singer, and performer Divine was a lifelong friend and collaborator of cult filmmaker John Waters, and they made a great many movies together — but she is remembered best for Pink Flamingos, in particular, a single controversial scene which cemented Divine’s status as an outsider’s icon. Tig follows a year in the life of the comedian as she processes her diagnosis with breast cancer and the loss of her mother, in addition to falling in love and trying to have a child. Must-Watch Documentaries About LGBTQ History, Rights and Visibility By ETonline Editors 7:07 AM PDT, October 15, 2020 Each product … Activists in Turkey have been organizing and attending Istanbul Pride since 2003. –. ©Off White Productions/Courtesy Everett Collection, How "RuPaul's Drag Race" Sashays Through LGBTQ History. This documentary follows Zoey Luna, a 13-year-old trans girl in Los Angeles. Films like. PARIS IS BURNING, 1990. But in 2016, the festival was banned. This documentary is remarkable particularly for its release date — 1984. The young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world. (c) Off White Productions/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. Check your local listings . Representation of LGBTQ characters on-screen has always been scarce. This reference book was published in 2003. The murder of Matthew Shepard was a watershed moment for an entire generation of gay people; a shocking and brutal reminder that homophobic violence can be enacted, without provocation, at any time. Read CNN's Fast Facts on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender milestones in the United States, and learn more about their struggle for equal rights. Tweet Share Post Bookmark. Keywords lgbtq lgbtq rights documentaries The young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world. The list below, which reaches back to the late 1960s and includes recent projects from around the globe that have further broadened what kinds of LGBTQ stories get told, is an invitation to see how queer and straight filmmakers alike have made real-life narratives pulsate with meaning. Grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy our diverse collection of trans documentaries… Here are our 30 essential LGBTQ documentaries, in order of release. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. This film, by Matt’s close friend Michele Josue, looks beyond the now-famous name to paint a picture of who he was as a person, how his death affected the people who loved him, and what we can still learn from his story. Premise: This documentary acknowledges the trauma and violence often experienced by the LGBTQ community over the years. Stonewall Forever is a documentary from NYC’s LGBT Community Center directed by Ro Haber. We also found some retro gold from the likes of the BBC and coverage from CNN. Following the issuance of the report, … Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (Gokushiteki erosu: Renka 1974), Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, Army of Lovers or Revolution of the Perverts (Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen), Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, Best Netflix Series and Shows To Watch Right Now (February 2021), All Ryan Reynolds Movies Ranked by Tomatometer. Gay and Lesbian Rights in the United States: A Documentary History. All rights reserved. Directed by T Cooper and produced by Téa Leoni, star of Madam Secretary, Man Made is a documentary that follows the participants of TransFitCon, the world’s only transgender … Throughout the film, David Thorpe works with a speech therapist to examine where his “gay” voice comes from, and chats to other men who have tried to alter the way they communicate. Copyright © 2018 Fandango. The following list of LGBTQ documentaries offers us windows into the past, allowing us glimpses into moments made worthy by their mere documentation. – Manuel Betancourt, Paddington 3 Is Officially in the Works, and More Movie News, “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Titanic, Joel Kinnaman Gets Excited About For All Mankind’s Extreme Sci-Fi Future, Indie Fresh List: Nomadland, I Care a Lot, and Supernova, Tim Burton Makes His TV Directing Debut With The Addams Family Spin-off, Wednesday, WandaVision Episode 7 Introduces a Hero and Reveals a Villain. Ronan Doyle. Films like Portrait of Jason and Tongues Untied, for instance, tell contemporary viewers as much about the individual stories about gay Black men presented on screen as about the communities (real and imagined) that their respective filmmakers brought to bear on their finished films. Paris Is Burning is a required reading, illuminating just how much of contemporary slang and culture, from vogueing to realness to throwing shade, owes a debt to these fearless queens. Everyone should be able to feel proud of who they are and who they love. First Run Features . Why are LGBTI rights important? Together they create a kaleidoscopic vision of what the queer community has looked like on the big screen.