Review of Before Stonewall (1984) by Matt S — 20 Jun 2010

Fascinating documentary from the mid-80's takes a look at what life was like in America for gays & lesbians before the Stonewall riots in 1969 opened the floodgates of an actual gay rights movement.

It mostly focuses on life from World War II to 1969. Before WWII, there was almost no visibility whatsoever for queer people. Soldiers drafted into the war from small towns all across the country began to find that they were not alone when they were gathered for battle.

Interviews and archival footage present the stories of several gay activists and of some of the most influential people of the time like poet Allen Ginsberg, lesbian author Ann Bannon, and Dr. Evelyn Hooker, who was heavily influenced by Kinsey's 1948 research and did the first full-scale study of 'normal, well-adjusted' gay men in the 1950's.