https://youtu.be/UwvgMNE9ozg
When We Rise, the long-awaited TV miniseries about the battle for LGBTQ rights, premiered its first two hours last night to mostly positive reviews. The show isn’t subtle, and the direct, in-your-face approach does the subject justice. For the real life heroes who shed sweat and blood in the struggles for LGBTQ rights, for women’s rights, and for civil rights, the stakes were often as dramatic as life and death, freedom and oppression, dignity and suffering.
Since the show starts with so many seemingly disconnected stories (we suspect things will coalesce as the narrative progresses), a clever storytelling thread is used to anchor everyone in time and place. Multiple characters are seen holding or reading the 1971 “Year in Pictures” edition of the now-shuttered Life Magazine, a sub-brand of Time Magazine.
The real-life magazine issue included a groundbreaking photo spread titled “Homosexuals in Revolt,” and included the words “Gay Liberation” on its cover. In the table of contents, the feature is described as “A major essay on America’s newest militants, the activists of ‘gay liberation.'”
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Here’s a shot of the cover from the show:
And here’s the full cover (a near-mint copy can be yours on E-Bay for the near-reasonable price of $69):
In episode one of the series, we also get glimpses of content from the feature:
Here’s a closer look at some of the now-iconic imagery from this issue, together with the captions as they were printed in 1971, courtesy of Time Magazine:
You can find more of the images here.
Here’s a sample of the copy in the feature:
It was the most shocking and, to most Americans, the most surprising liberation movement yet. Under the slogan “Out of the closets and into the streets,” thousands of homosexuals, male and female, were proudly confessing what they had long hidden. They were, moreover, moving into direct confrontation with conventional society. Their battle was far from won. But in 1971 militant homosexuals showed they they were prepared to fight it…They resent what they consider to be savage discrimination against them on the basis of a preference which they did not choose and which they cannot — and do not want to — change. And while mist will admit that “straight” society’s attitudes have caused them unhappiness, they respond to the charge that all homosexuals are guilt-ridden and miserable with the defiant rallying cry “Gay is Good!”
As you can imagine, many Life readers in 1971 were appalled by the coverage.
Here are two reader-submitted responses that were printed in the 1972 edition of the magazine:
From Telford, Penn. — There was plenty to lament in your year-end issue, but the thing that struck me as most sad was the fact that LIFE felt compelled to devote 11 pages to “Homosexuals in Revolt.”
From Chicago — Essentially, it is absurd to accept as a mere “variant lifestyle” a practice which, if universal, would mean the end of the human race.
We owe it to ourselves and to those who fought to keep this not-so-distant past fresh in our minds as we take the fight into the 21st century.
When We Rise continues to air on ABC this week.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Don’t let the pictures deceive you they where mostly trans #fakeviews
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
*Were
DMRX
To Dan Tracer, once again:
You can’t even copy/paste correctly. PLEASE type your articles in a program that has a decent spelling and grammar checker.
DMRX
It’s like I’m reading something typed by a teenager on his phone.
Past that…good article.
1EqualityUSA
“Past that…good article.” (Unnecessary ellipsis. Overused word: good.)
Michael
AND that 1971 magazine spread is, ironically, the evidence—of a real, vibrant gay rights movement and its ACTUAL pioneers BEFORE Dustin Lance Black’s lead characters showed up—that convicts him of fraud, of suggesting that the movement was dead until Cleve descended from heaven, excuse me, Arizona. Wasn’t Black’s willfully erasing with “Milk” the four out gays elected before Harvey (Kathy Kozachenko, Elaine Noble, Allan Spear, Jim Yeadon) not ignominy enough? Because of all of the people and events he shameless erases (Frank Kameny, Barbara Gittings, Troy Perry, Randy Wicker+++), minimizes (Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon+++) or distorts (Jim Foster+++), and his suggestion that the modern gay rights movement began in 1972, “When We Lie”—excuse me, “When We Rise” is political science fiction; no more praiseworthy than a series marketing itself as “about the Freedom Riders” would actually be that while portraying only the White People on the buses. NONE of his three lead characters were pioneers, only one is remotely known outside of San Francisco, and all stood on the soldiers of the real (and few) actual pioneers at whom the series throws insulting crumbs of attention. Anyone interested in a serious history of the gay rights movement in the US would better spend these hours reading something by ACTUAL gay historians not intent on vanity projects to gild themselves and their friends, e.g., in addition to The Three, the Human Rights Champagne Fund’s Chad Griffin who is portrayed in three of the four episodes even though his first involvement in gay activism didn’t take place until 2008. AND Black even has the gall to REPEAT in the series his BIG LIE from “Milk” that Harvey was “the first gay man elected to major public office.” No, Mary, that was Allan Spear. Dustin Lance Black is to gay history what Bernie Madoff was to investing. Coming from his Alternate Facts Production Company in 2018: “SWEET DREAMS BABY” starring Melissa McCarthy as Martin Luther King.
alterego1980
Your outrage and all-caps annunciations fall on deaf ears. Your indignation won’t help with a TV show, which is basically a pretend re-telling. Only a documentary will have the things you speak of…the absolute truth.
NateOcean
Actually, these comments didn’t fall on deaf ears. Thanks for detailing the many shortcomings of this docu-drama. You confirmed several of the oversights mentioned in other Queerty articles.
Herman75
I didn’t expect it to be 100% aligned with actual gay rights history.
You’re missing the point of it, what this miniseries is showing, how the world was for LGBT back then.
Chris
I remember those days including that issue of Life and the 1971 TV show called American Family where the eldest son, Lance Loud, came out on TV. The fear and anger were palpable; but so was the determination.
NCSilverBear
While I was first excited to hear about such a groundbreaking, prime-time GLBT quasi-historical fictional series, I found myself trying to like this first installment. But, it left me feeling flat. As a 71+ gay male, it seems to me, as someone has already said, “our” movement actually was rooted in at least the decade prior to when this series starts. And without that background, the series seems to loose any historical credence or oomph. I will attempt to follow the rest of the series — another 6 hours? But, if it doesn’t take a turn for the more factual of representation, I think it will be an unfortunate flop and dismal failure. I am distressed that what otherwise could have been a remarkable and much needed expose, especially given the current political atmosphere, this series appears to be both lacking in stamina and authenticity.
Sluggo2007
I have to agree with you. I was hoping for something better. If the second installment disappoints me tonight, I will not be watching further.
PerryBrass
I watched the first episode of “When We Rise,” and had some qualms about it—like places where elements of the plot escaped me, they were either dropped too fast or introduced too fast—and I am completely aware of the historical elements that should have been introduced, but I guess only Dustin Lance Black could have gotten ABC, always raving about its big hit “The Bachelor,” to air this. Compared to “Stonewall,” “When We Rise” is almost factual. The real problem is that queer American media-rites have a hard time understanding the heroism of the gay movement—they have to keep coming up with the usual stock characters instead of the real people. The good-looking long-haired guy in front of the cop in the Life photo was Arthur Evans, one of the great minds behind the Gay Activists Alliance. Arthur’s story is twice as compelling as anything on “When We Rise,” so were the stories of the people in the Gay Liberation Front and other front line groups in the late 60s and early 1970s. I know: I was there. Perry Brass, author of The Manly Pursuit of Desire and Love.
jimontp
Like you, as a LONG time resident of SF, I was totally confused about the “history” portrayed. It simply isn’t accurate. Many people might think this is documentary film. It isn’t. The scene with Cleve Jones in the Black Cat Bar with Jose Sarria couldn’t have happened. The Black Cat CLOSED in 1964. The Castro had a gay bar, the Pendulum, in 1970, so when Jones arrived in what 72 or 73, why was he hanging around the Haight? Polk street area had several gay bars. Dave’s was an active bath house on Broadway in North Beach. But more importantly, the leather bars on Folsom
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Folsom_Street:_The_Miracle_Mile
chuck
This very magazine had a profound effect on me. I was in the U of Pittsburg student infirmary post rejection from a roommate that I had previously been sexual with. He bluntly turned against me during a drug experimentation. I was freaking out and had been unable to sleep for days. Picked up this magazine in the waiting room which gave me the courage to come out. The door opened into a technicolor world and I never looked back. It really saved my life!
He BGB
I was in the 10th grade in high school in 1971 and not yet out (it was the following year 1972) so I don’t remember this. I like documentaries much better but am interested in this series. I like some of the casting like Rosie O and Whoopi. Like in any movie I cringe over violence and bullying (like this and moonlight) but it’s part of the reality. I think it will get better…..
Herman75
When I consider that ABC episode of the Bachelor that aired just before WWR main theme was an unfortunate woman going on about never experiencing an orgasm and then see how the bitter Qweenz on here want to tear WWR apart…really sad. You deserve to sit in the dark and enjoy your reality TV.
ABC airing WWR is special for us and yet because you find it not perfect you’ll piss all over it like you piss all over each other. Pitiful.
DLB and GVS have done a remarkable job. Looking forward to tonight’s Epi.
1EqualityUSA
The mood I’m in, I’d rather jump into 1972:
Grateful Dead, 08-27-1972, China Cat Sunflower–I know you rider. Outdoor concert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOVIQORfFrk
Terrycloth
I watched didn’t analyze every scene. I just watched it for what it is…an enjoyable semi documentary…I’ll be watching pt2 tonight
Wed…Don’t expect a lot ..you’ll enjoy it
SteverB1
Thanks, this is good to know. I’m saving it on the TiVo for the weekend.
ErikO
Does the mini-series mention how Cleve Jones was a male prostitute working on Polk Street in SF, and wound up HIV+? Of course the series is rewriting history; but Dustin Lance Black does this as he did this with Milk.
David Myers
So you didn’t watch it? Yet here you are commenting on it, with your opinion, without watching it? For your information . . . yes, this series does depict Cleve Jones hustling on Polk Street.
He BGB
I enjoyed the 1 hour documentary before the program last night with the IRL people of the show discussing their lives. It really drove it home more than the show all that gay people have gone through over the years. After more people came out and almost everyone knew someone gay, it really changed everything…well, many things.