I have seen the film “Before Stonewall '' about twice now, but I have never seen the sequel “After Stonewall'' or even knew it existed. After viewing the film, it was interesting to see and have more coverage on the aftermath of the Stonewall riots on the LGBTQ+ movement. The film covers about 30 years of progress made after the initial Stonewall riots in the 60’s. They also interviewed many significant figures who played a role in shaping the LGBTQ+ movement post Stonewall. Many topics were discussed in this report such as the effects of the AIDS epidemic, the Gay Liberation Movement, media representation, and how struggles within the community still persist till this day.
The AIDS epidemic was a devastating disease that took the lives of many. AIDS was a sexual disease caused by HIV that can spread through sexual relations with a carrier of the disease. Throughout this film and through my general knowledge of the AIDS epidemic, the LGBTQ+ community received an especially hard blow from this epidemic. Not only was it infecting people within the community, but due to the centered focus around how primarily gay men were the ones being infected and infecting others, it built a harsh relationship between the community and the disease. Many stigmas were made that the queer community were considered unclean and diseased due to the virus. Not many people wanted to be in contact with a gay person, let alone shake their hands, as they believed that all gay people were infected and could infect them as well with a simple touch. Scientifically this is inaccurate as it can only be spread through sexual relations with an infected person, but this stigma persisted with more hate being driven towards the queer community.
This can also be seen in the movie about the band “Queen” and the lead singer Freddie Mercury. He was a gay man and died due to AIDS. Yet despite the stigma he faced during his time, he served as the face of the AIDS epidemic showing how AIDS can be controlled and especially has nothing to do with a person’s sexual orientation.
Then there was the coverage of the Gay Liberation Movement. As clear as the name is, this movement was a movement focused on addressing the issues of discrimination, inequality, and oppression faced by the queer community. After the Stonewall riots, it sparked the formation of activist organizations like the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance. They’re movements included things such as parades and peaceful protests to fight against discrimination and secure civil rights for the queer community. They wanted social acceptance and legal rights as much as anyone else. Their efforts proved to be transformative as they paved the way for visibility, recognition, and equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community that still hold today.
Yet with how far the LGBTQ+ community has come, comparing the differences from today to the 60’s being significant to see, the report reported that they will still face struggles from here on out no matter how much progress they have made. This is certainly true as discrimination against the queer community still exists today. It may be more widely accepted today compared to before, but there are still those who express their hatred privately online or openly in public in the form of hate crimes and violence against the queer community. The report has also been mainly focusing on gay rights in the US, but there are other parts of the world with people who are also part of the queer community, but do not have as much lenience or free speech as we do to rise up for their own rights. Rather they might face punishments like imprisonment or death in modern times comparable to the punishments we had here back in the 60s. Due to the constant fear of facing discrimination from society, the queer community suffers more from mental health issues, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. This fear is justified when many of their own families kick them out, leaving them to fend for themselves on the streets or others who put their own family members into conversion therapy, a very hurtful and ineffective practice still done today. The fight for full LGBTQ+ equality and acceptance continues today. We have the advantage of having a more widely available and public platform to share the diverse culture of the queer community, hopefully informing others that they simply want to live in peace and equality without violence being involved.
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