The patrons describe the Stonewall Inn as a safe haven away from a society that made them feel unwanted.

 

 

 

There are instances throughout history where the hapless and oppressed take a stand against their tyrants and catalyze an entire movement. One such instance was the rebellion at New York City’s Stonewall Inn which laid the groundwork for the Gay Rights Movement. Stonewall Uprising, the fascinating documentary by the team of Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, tells the story of what the LGBT community refers to as their “Rosa Parks moment."

 

It was the summer of 1969. America was in upheaval and the times were changing. The Stonewall Inn was a mob-run dive that served as a mecca for the city’s LGBT youth. In the early hours of June 28, the police raided the establishment. Tired of harassment and the systematic prejudice homosexuals faced at the time, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided to take a stand and the police were met with resistance. Rioting ensued for 3 days. The rest is history.

 

The documentary recalls the events of the Stonewall insurrection as told by the patrons and police that were involved. The patrons describe the Stonewall Inn as a safe haven away from a society that made them feel unwanted. They identified with the struggle for civil rights for African Americans because they too felt they were being held down by a de jure system of discrimination. When the police arrived that June night, they decided it was their turn to fight for equality.

 

The film also, through its subjects, shares heartbreaking stories of growing up pre-Stonewall, where homosexual acts were outlawed in 49 states in 1969. Homosexuality was looked at as a mental illness, a choice of a crazy person. They were subject to electroshock therapy, sterilization, and lobotomies, among other terrible things.

 

With the exception of a few photographs, there is little first-hand documentation of the riots, which is unfortunate. The filmmakers, however, make tremendous use of educational films and other archival footage to help tell the story and provide context. One such educational film from the era gives a frightening look into the sentiment of what mainstream Americans thought of the homosexual community. It is of a police officer addressing a group of youths, over-exaggerating as some authority figures do, that “one in three of you with be queer” and that “life will be a living hell” if you are a caught with a homosexual.

 

Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, who were also behind the docs Waiting for Armageddon and Pucker Up, weave all these elements together to make Stonewall Uprising a compelling documentary. The film is a valuable history lesson about a pivotal moment that gave rise to an entire movement and is one of the most important films of the year. It is a testament to the brave souls who rose against the forces of injustice. | Justin Tucker