Not even the slightest nod to gay lib?
With extensive reference to the black power and women's lib movements, it seems odd this collage did not include at least some gay lib content. After all, it was 1978 when Harvey Milk was assassinated.
shareWith extensive reference to the black power and women's lib movements, it seems odd this collage did not include at least some gay lib content. After all, it was 1978 when Harvey Milk was assassinated.
shareI think the only mention at all was when Byron's dad says to him, "Black Power, Grey Power...Pink Power." Otherwise nothing.
I wonder if they planned to explore it more if they had made a "The 80s". But the Stonewall Inn Riot was 1969 which kick-started the gay rights movement.
It was a reactionary series, not bad, only right-wing. I wouldn't expect they would even mention it.
shareI think its fair to say gay lib was not nearly as prominent AT THIS TIME as black power, women's lib and other issues covered in the movie. You might think different if you lived in the Castro. I grew up during this time and have no recollection of 'gay lib' in the early 70s. The late 80s to now is a different story.
shareThere was a sign someone was holding in the beginning that had to do with gay lib - forget exactly what it said but it had 'gay' in there somewhere. Other than the 'pink power' reference mentioned earlier can't think of anything else.
shareGay power was an 'underground' thing during this time. Mainstream presidential candidates were not proactively courting them until 1980.
With homosexuality still illegal pre-1972 (The APA was still then saying it was a mental disorder), that would have been a very complicated storyline for a brief miniseries.
Waiting until the 80's when you can give this more depth with the AIDS activism, Reagan administration's homophobia...etc is better.
People looking @ this from vantage point of 21st century forget job discrimination school discrimination housing discrimination were all very 100 percent legal in the 1970s.
Marriage was not even on the radar bc people were just trying to not be on the streets and unemployed for who they were. Mainstream bookstores did not have gay studies sections. You had to establish your own bookstore (the movie shows a feminist book store--which MAY have carried lesbian and bi women's books).
There was not even consciousness that AIDS/HIV existed. Or that transgendered/ transexual people existed
And the orgs which existed were not well funded at all they were run out of somebody's living room. The human rights campaign did not start doing presidential endorsements of any candidate until 1992, A miniseries re the 80's would be far more realistic to show gay people out about.
Something series HAD glossed over was disability rights
*Section 504 WAS signed during this era requiring access to fedrally funded programs for people with disabilities---activists had staged a sit in for several days...... specifically in San Fransico Califonia supposedly where the fictiious Kristy and Dexter both ended up.
NBC wasted valuable screen time with the fictious 'cult' and could have shown the two of them rehooking up that way. Also could have shown clips from other disability rights stuff which happened in the era like people fighting for access to the public schools (special ed was passed in 1975)