"Bigotry is ugly. It is especially ugly when it poses as virtue."
June 12, 2011 7:42 AM Subscribe
Rights And Reactions: Lesbian & Gay Rights On Trial is a 1987 documentary about the culmination in 1986 of the struggle to pass "Intro 2", the New York City "Gay Rights Bill", which prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of housing, employment, and public accommodation. Made by Phil Zwickler and Jane Lippman, it is available in 3 Quicktime segments: Part 1 (22m), Part 2 (19m), Part 3 (16m). Total running time: 56m.
Much more information about the film from the Phil Zwickler Charitable and Memorial Foundation Trust website.
Much more information about the film from the Phil Zwickler Charitable and Memorial Foundation Trust website.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- Brandon Blatcher
Homosexuals are men who in fifteen years of trying cannot pass a pissant anti-discrimination bill through City Council. Homosexuals are men who know nobody and who nobody knows. Who have zero clout.
posted by orthogonality at 1:30 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by orthogonality at 1:30 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
[it's a quote from Angels in America]
Thanks for this hippybear, have downloaded the three parts and will watch later.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:51 PM on June 12, 2011
Thanks for this hippybear, have downloaded the three parts and will watch later.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:51 PM on June 12, 2011
Thanks for this, hippybear. I have not been in NY at the time of this, back in the '86, so it's interesting to see this. Coincidentally, I just got back from the Gay Pride 11 in WeHo. I went with my wife and a good friend (also straight). I've been going for years. It's interesting to see just how things have been changing. There hasn't been anything subversive about it for a long time now. Banks (B of A, Wells Fargo), large companies (Raytheon! Macy's), grocery chains (WHF, Gelsons, etc.) and a ton others have their own floats/walks, along with media companies etc. The usual political presence and so forth.
What was interesting, is that every other year I've attended, every politician who appears gets cheered. This year was very different - maybe it was the particular crowd I was in, at the start of the parade route - but many, many got actually booed! Mayor Villaraigosa - booed. Obama people - booed. Even Zev Yaroslavsky - booed. Now, not everyone booed, but enough did, so that it made for some uncomfortable moments. In years past, it seemed that people were grateful for any politician to show their face at a Gay Pride parade - but, and maybe this is a sign of political maturing - it's not enough anymore. Now, it's not enough to whore for votes and then ignore the constituency when the time comes to act or pay a political price. Now, they're being held to account - at least a little. The same for personalities that are seen as simply taking a ride exploiting the community, or resting on old laurels (and so, Gloria Allred - the lawyer - got booed).
Or maybe people were cranky, because the weather was kinda grey and cloudy here in LA (last year was scorching hot).
Still, you look at those documentaries, and compare to today, and while there's been some political movement, there's been a huge social change - or so it seems here in WeHo.
posted by VikingSword at 3:50 PM on June 12, 2011
What was interesting, is that every other year I've attended, every politician who appears gets cheered. This year was very different - maybe it was the particular crowd I was in, at the start of the parade route - but many, many got actually booed! Mayor Villaraigosa - booed. Obama people - booed. Even Zev Yaroslavsky - booed. Now, not everyone booed, but enough did, so that it made for some uncomfortable moments. In years past, it seemed that people were grateful for any politician to show their face at a Gay Pride parade - but, and maybe this is a sign of political maturing - it's not enough anymore. Now, it's not enough to whore for votes and then ignore the constituency when the time comes to act or pay a political price. Now, they're being held to account - at least a little. The same for personalities that are seen as simply taking a ride exploiting the community, or resting on old laurels (and so, Gloria Allred - the lawyer - got booed).
Or maybe people were cranky, because the weather was kinda grey and cloudy here in LA (last year was scorching hot).
Still, you look at those documentaries, and compare to today, and while there's been some political movement, there's been a huge social change - or so it seems here in WeHo.
posted by VikingSword at 3:50 PM on June 12, 2011
PM'd you, hippybear. I'm a bit surprised that Spokane is so sparse wrt. LGBT official presence. On the other hand, I regularly remind myself that WeHo and San Francisco (places I hang out at a lot) are not exactly representative. It's easy to forget that I'm living in a bit of a bubble, and invariably I'm shocked to witness stuff like anti-abortion billboards by the roadside not far out of the big cities even here in California. I was flabbergasted to see a McCain bumper sticker on a car in the parking lot of my local TJ's - you just never see such stickers around these parts... I walked up closer - the car was from Texas.
We take so much for granted. I walked back from the parade up along Sunset, and the three of us were wearing various pins, stickers and wristbands in the rainbow flag colors. We sat down at a Russian Deli for a meal. Nobody hassled us or gave us a dirty look - my friend remarked, that this would not have been the case twenty years ago, you could easily have been beaten up... and it's still the reality in a lot of the country today.
posted by VikingSword at 6:38 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
We take so much for granted. I walked back from the parade up along Sunset, and the three of us were wearing various pins, stickers and wristbands in the rainbow flag colors. We sat down at a Russian Deli for a meal. Nobody hassled us or gave us a dirty look - my friend remarked, that this would not have been the case twenty years ago, you could easily have been beaten up... and it's still the reality in a lot of the country today.
posted by VikingSword at 6:38 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh my god. Watching the crowd actually boo the 75 year old life-partners of 50 years is so difficult. First I feel angry, then sad, then helpless. I just saw the Normal Heart a few days ago. Heartbreaking.
posted by prefpara at 8:29 PM on June 12, 2011
posted by prefpara at 8:29 PM on June 12, 2011
Oh, holy cow, this was the first issue I ever got politically active about. I was in college at the time at NYU and spent a lot of time on it, wrote (wretched) papers about it and all that. Thanks for posting the links.
posted by bink at 11:02 PM on June 12, 2011
posted by bink at 11:02 PM on June 12, 2011
It was my pleasure to have known and worked with Phil Zwickler. As one of his producers, I helped to instruct him in his early efforts in video production (music videos, corporate, etc.).
He was fiercely committed to every effort he undertook, and never backed down from any of his deeply held principles.
He was also funny as hell, and unashamed to reveal his emotions, however painful some may have been.
Let's keep his memory alive.
posted by joetrip at 6:12 AM on June 14, 2011
He was fiercely committed to every effort he undertook, and never backed down from any of his deeply held principles.
He was also funny as hell, and unashamed to reveal his emotions, however painful some may have been.
Let's keep his memory alive.
posted by joetrip at 6:12 AM on June 14, 2011
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posted by telstar at 10:53 AM on June 12, 2011