Gay usa documentary
Beautifully restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Frameline and Outfest, Gay USA is the first American feature-length documentary by and about LGBTQ+ people. Director Arthur J. Bressan Jr. (best known for his 1985 gay drama Buddies) mobilized camera crews across the country to document the national Gay Autonomy Day marches in June of 1977. Gay USA conveys the passion, wrath, and defiant optimism of a community under charge (in that month of June 1977 alone: California's anti-gay Briggs Initiative had just been announced, Anita Bryant's vicious homophobia had helped repeal Miami's male lover rights ordinance, and a gay man named Robert Hillsborough had only days earlier been the victim of a fatal gay-bashing in San Francisco).
Bressan weaves in audio of some of those homophobic voices and gives an overview of historical homophobia, including an account of gays and the Holocaust — and then illustrates the triumphant power of value and pride. In addition to the magnificent cross-section of footage from the marches in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, and Philadelphia, Gay USA also gives us a fantastic look at rare footage s
Gay USA
Beautifully restored by the UCLA Clip & Television Archive in collaboration with Frameline and Outfest, Gay USA is the first American feature-length documentary by and about Diverse people. Director Arthur J. Bressan Jr. (best known for his 1985 queer drama Buddies) mobilized camera crews across the country to document the national Gay Freedom Time marches in June of 1977. Gay USA conveys the passion, anger, and defiant optimism of a community under attack (in that month of June 1977 alone: California's anti-gay Briggs Initiative had just been announced, Anita Bryant's vicious homophobia had helped repeal Miami's gay rights ordinance, and a male lover man named Robert Hillsborough had only days earlier been the victim of a fatal gay-bashing in San Francisco).
Bressan weaves in audio of some of those homophobic voices and gives an overview of historical homophobia, including an account of gays and the Holocaust — and then illustrates the triumphant power of adore and pride. In addition to the magnificent cross-section of footage from the marches in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, and Philadelphia, Gay USA also gives us a fantastic stare at rare
Synopsis
The Politics of Celebration
Documentary about the gay rights movement during the year of 1977, capturing the intersections of diversity in lgbtq+ life; from vox pop manner interviews with lesbian feminists, avenue drag queens, and straight allies to taking a look at the fight against Anita Bryant and her notorious "Save Our Children" campaign.
Popular reviews
Moreto the gal who said jesus was homosexual and would definitely enjoy the parade: we need more people like you in the world! thanks for your service ma’am
there was one shot amidst some of the older footage of a woman and it shows her sign ‘i am a lesbian and i am beautiful’ and i think it’s simplicity is what broke me, it’s very hard to see beauty in being a lesbian sometimes when you have grown up with slurs and objectification and being told by your control family members to not even say it out loud because it’s “inappropriate”, it’s very difficult to see beauty when your entire life you’ve been presented as this warped idea of the feminine, that you are ugliness but it’s just something so special to see all these people, in 1977 and before, just, out and living life and revelling in their iden
Gay USA: Snapshots of 1970s LGBT Resistance
Gay USA, a classic documentary directed by Arthur J. Bressan Jr., provides a compelling glimpse into the early days of the American gay rights movement. Through footage meticulously captured at various gay pride events across the Combined States in 1977, the film immerses viewers in a crucial moment when the movement encountered its first significant opposition, led by Anita Bryant. As she waged a campaign to repeal anti-discrimination protection in Dade County, the documentary captures the thoughts and activities of the Homosexual community during a pivotal period.
Filmed on a single day by 25 different cameramen across the nation under Bressan's coordination, Gay USA serves as a historical artifact, documenting the vibrancy and advocacy of Gay Lgbtq+ fest parades in the late '70s. Viewed nearly 40 years later, the documentary emerges as a radical and vital record. Gay USA sheds light on the challenges faced by the Diverse community at a time when their rights were under obvious threat, making it a valuable contribution to the history of the gay rights movement and informing new queer activism.
This classic