HBO’s “The Case Agast 8”: An Intimate Look at One of Gay Marriage’s Greatt Victori – Mother Jon

Contents:

• HBO’S “THE CASE AGAST 8”: AN INTIMATE LOOK AT ONE OF GAY MARRIAGE’S GREATT VICTORI
• GAY MARRIAGE DOCUMENTARI WRG STANT HISTORY
• HBO DOCUMENTARY ON GAY MARRIAGE RULG ANNOUNCED
• HBO TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY ON GAY MARRIAGE LEGAL FIGHT
• HOW GAY MARRIAGE WAS WON: PROP 8’S DTCTN CAPTURED IN HBO MOVIETWO UPL, A LAWYER ODD-UPLE, EMOTNALLY EXHSTG DAYS OF TTIMONY, AND A VICTOR DAY AT THE SUPREME COURT—ONE OF THE PIVOTAL GAY RIGHTS BATTL OF RECENT YEARS IS EVOKED ‘THE CASE AGAST 8.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 4:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 06, 2014 5:45AM EDT AFER/DIANA WALKER/HBO BLAKE NEELY, I AM BILLG YOU FOR THE TISSU. THE EMOTNAL TRAJECTORY OF THE CASE AGAST 8 IS SWEEPG, AND TEAR-ELICG, ENOUGH WHOUT THE HBO DOCUMENTARY’S MIL DIRECTOR’S VASTATGLY EFFECTIVE PIANO ACPANIMENT TOO. THE TWO-HOUR FILM, WHICH WON PRTIG AWARDS AT SUNDANCE, SXSW, AND THE VAIL FILM FTIVAL, FOLLOWS THE THREE-YEAR LEGAL FIGHT OF THE TWO UPL WHO WERE THE FIGUREHEADS OF THE FIGHT AGAST THE VOTER-ENSHRED PROPOSN 8, WHICH STATED THAT CALIFORNIA REGNIZED MARRIAGE AS SOMETHG ONLY BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. IT PASSED THE SAME NIGHT AT BARACK OBAMA BEME PRINT 2008: A HORRIBLE KICK THE GUT, THE WORST HANER EVER. NEELY’S PIANO PLAYG DON’T JT STRIKE UP AT THE MOST MOVG MOMENTS THE FILM—WHEN KRIS PERRY AND HER PARTNER SANDY STIER, AND PL KATAMI AND HIS PARTNER JEFF ZARRILLO, W ONE OF A MYRIAD OF LEGAL VICTORI WHICH LEAD THEM EVER CLOSER TO OVERTURNG PROP 8—BUT ALSO THE QUIETER STRETCH OF THE NARRATIVE TOO, BEE, AS THE FILM MAK CLEAR, THREE YEARS IS A LONG TIME, AND THOSE FIGHTG TO KEEP PROP 8 PLACE WERE TERMED TO EXHST EVERY LEGAL REURSE BEFORE ADMTG FEAT.THE UPL SHARE THE DOCUMENTARY'S FOC WH TED OLSON AND DAVID BOI, THE TWO LAWYERS FAMED FOR BEG ON OPPOSG SIS THE URTROOM DRAMA THAT RULTED GEE BH BEG ELECTED PRINT 2000 (OLSON, THE RIGHT-WGER, REPRENTED BH, ARGUG—ULTIMATELY SUCCSFULLY—FLORIDA SHOULD STOP S REUNT; BOI REPRENTED AL GORE). OLSON WAS LATER SUCCSFULLY NOMATED FOR THE POST OF SOLICOR GENERAL BY BH 2001. WHEN THIS UNLIKELY DREAM TEAM ME TOGETHER TO FIGHT TO MOLISH PROPOSN 8, MANY GAYS AND LIBERALS ULDN’T BELIEVE , AND ASSUMED OLSON WAS SOMEHOW A RIGHT-WG MOLE, WORKG TO STROY THE E OF EQUALY RATHER THAN SUPPORT . BUT NO, AND ONE OF THE MORE SURPRISG REVELATNS OF THE FILM IS THAT THE MEN WERE IENDS ANYWAY. BOI SAYS THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE N UNRSTAND WHAT A FIGHT LIKE THE FLORIDA UNT IS AND HOW AFFECTS YOU—AND FOR BOTH MEN, ONLY EACH OTHER DID. OLSON TAK ON THE SE BEE, AS HE SAYS, “MARRIAGE IS A NSERVATIVE VALUE.”ONE OF MY FAVORE MOMENTS THE FILM SE OLSON SWL WHEN HE THKS THERE IS NO PIZZA PROVID DURG ONE EXTEND MEETG THERE. BOI TELLS HIM THERE ARE ONLY TAS. OLSON’S EXPRSN AT THAT MOMENT MAK YOU NEVER WANT TO BE ON THE WRONG SI OF HIM URT.WE LEARN, UNSURPRISGLY, THAT THE TWO UPL WERE CHOSEN BY THE AMERIN FOUNDATN FOR EQUAL RIGHTS—FOUND BY CHAD GRIFF TO FIGHT PROPOSN 8—ONLY AFTER EXTENSIVE VETTG: EVERYTHG THEIR PASTS AND PRENTS WERE EXAMED BY EXPERTS AND PRIVATE TECTIV. THE FILM SPENDS TIME WH THEM, BUT WE NEVER REALLY GET TO KNOW THEM. THEY SPEAK FE SENTENC, THEY ARE MOVG AND DIGNIFIED, THEY ARE QUIZZED MOCK-URTROOM SETUPS SIGNED TO TT THEIR EMOTNAL STRENGTH, BUT WE NEVER GET UNR THE SK OF THEIR RELATNSHIPS. I KEPT THKG THEY WERE THE MOST RO UPL I HAD EVER SEEN ON SCREEN, GAY OR STRAIGHT: THE WOMEN ARE FILMED TALKG NONCHALANTLY ABOUT WHAT KD OF NUTR SUPPER TO PREPARE; THE MEN, PUTTG UP THEIR CHRISTMAS RATNS. PERRY KVETCH WHEN THEIR TW SONS ARE PLAYG ELECTRONIC GAM, AND THE LOVELY BOYS HAVE ONLY THE KST AND MOST LOVG THGS TO SAY ABOUT THEIR MOMS, AND THAT’S FE. BUT EVERYONE IS ON THEIR BT BEHAVR; PERHAPS THE EDORIAL JUDGMENT HERE IS THAT ANYTHG LS ULD BE A BONE TO THE OTHER SI.THAT’S POLIC FOR THE UPL AND AFER, BUT DON’T MAKE FOR PERATG DOCUMENTARY-MAKG. THIS ISN’T AN ARGUMENT FOR SEEG SI BEDROOMS OR MUCKY SALACNS, JT PERHAPS WHAT DISCSNS THERE WERE BETWEEN THE UPL THEMSELV ABOUT TAKG ON THE SE (WE HEAR SNATCH DIVIDUALLY ABOUT THIS BUT NOT AS A DISCSN BETWEEN THEM), OR FOLLOWG THEM HOME AFTER A TAXG DAY URT.WE HEAR ABOUT THE EMOTNAL NATURE OF THE UPL’ LIV TOGETHER—THE PARTS THAT GO WELL WH SWELLG PIANO MIC—BUT NOT THE NTY-GRTY. THE FILM IS AS NTROLLED WHAT SHOWS AS THOSE AFER TECTIV WERE FDG OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO FD OUT ABOUT THE QUARTET OF PUBLIC FAC. THIS IS ONE OF THE WEAKER ASPECTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY: THE ACCS TO THE UPL, AND TO THE TERNAL MEETGS AT AFER, ARE BOTH PRUMABLY AT THE BEHT AT THE LATTER; AND SO WE NEVER GET A SENSE OF DARKER MOMENTS, OR OF TERNAL WRANGL, OR DISPUT, OR DISCSNS, OR DRAMAS. WE ARE NOT ONLY ON THE SI OF THE GOOD GUYS, BUT WE ARE ONLY EVER ON THE GOOD SI OF THE GOOD GUYS. AT A KEY MOMENT THE FILM, THE FILMMAKERS ARE LOCKED OUT OF A ROOM WHEN BIG NEWS BREAKS. THIS WOULD BE UNRSTANDABLE IF THEY WERE A NEWS CREW, AND AFER WERE SEEKG TO NTROL THE BREAKG OF A STORY THAT MOMENT, BUT NOT FOR A FILM WHICH WILL BE G OUT LONG AFTER THAT MOMENT HAS PASSED AND WHEN SEEG THAT MOMENT UNFOLD WOULD MAKE A HIGH POT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY.BUT THERE ARE MANY TANGIBLE SENSIVI PLAY. CHAD GRIFF, FOUNR OF AFER AND SCE 2012 THE PRINT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, WONRS—WHEN THE GROUP FAC IAL OPPOSN OM OTHER MPAIGNG GROUPS WHO THK 2010 IS “TOO EARLY” TO PICK MARRIAGE AS THE CENTRAL GAY RIGHTS FIGHT TO HAVE—WHY GAY GROUPS SPEND MORE TIME FIGHTG EACH OTHER THAN “RIGHT-WG NUT JOBS.”THOSE RIGHT-WGERS, ED THE OPPOSN, ARE UTTERLY ABSENT OM THE FILM. IN A PHONE TERVIEW, DIRECTORS BEN COTNER AND RYAN WHE SAID WAS NEVER THEIR TENTN TO MAKE THAT KD OF ALL-SIS-REPRENTED FILM: THEY WERE GAY CALIFORNIANS, AND WANTED TO CHART THE FIGHT-BACK AGAST THIS IQUO PIECE OF DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN. THEY SAID THEY HAD SHOT OVER 600 HOURS OF FILM.WHAT THE FILM DO MAKE CLEAR IS THAT THE “OTHER SI” HAD VERY LTLE THE WAY OF ARGUMENTS. THEIR EXPERT WNS WHERED UNR IAL QUTNG. THEY ULD NEVER EXACTLY PPOT THE ACTUAL HARM MARRIAGE EQUALY WOULD DO TO HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE OR CHILDREN. IN THE END, THE REEDY VOICE OF THE PRO-PROP 8 UNSEL IS HEARD BLEATG AT THE SUPREME COURT THAT MARRIAGE EQUALY UNRM THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE, WHICH IS PROCREATN. BUT, AS THE JTIC ASK, WHAT ABOUT THE HETEROSEXUAL UPL WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND WHAT OF THE MANY LBIAN AND GAY PARENTS OUT THERE, TOO?THE UNSEL FOR PROPOSN 8 DON’T SOUND NVCED BY HIS OWN ARGUMENT, AND THE SUPREME COURT JTIC QUTNG HIS STUPID NTENTNS SOUND LIKE TEACHERS TRYG TO BE A PATIENT WH AN UNBELIEVABLY OBTE CHILD.THE FILM HAS THE TENSN OF THE TIMELE: THE VICTORI, FOLLOWED BY CHALLENG, FOLLOWED BY VICTORI, FOLLOWED BY CHALLENG. THE EMOTNAL MOMENTS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED ARE THE MOST PIERCG, SUCH AS WHEN ZARRILLO PREPAR TO GIVE THE FIRST SPEECH ANNOUNCG THE LEGAL CHALLENGE, AND HE CRI BEFOREHAND JT BEE HE NEEDS TO CRY.IT IS ALSO EXTREMELY MOVG WATCHG PERRY SAY THAT WAS ONLY WHEN SHE GAVE EVINCE, FOLLOWG THE LOGIC OF HER OWN THOUGHTS, THAT SHE REALIZED WHY THE SE, AND WHAT SHE AND STIER WERE FIGHTG FOR, WAS SO IMPORTANT: THAT LGBT PEOPLE BEE SO ED TO LIVG UNR “A BLANKET OF HATE,” THAT MANY, LIKE HER, “PE” WH LIFE, RATHER THAN LIVG AS OUT LOUD, AND WH ASPIRATNS FOR SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. WHEN ZARRILLO SAYS ON THE STAND THAT HE LOV KATAMI MORE THAN HE LOV HIMSELF, KATAMI GASPS; AND WHEN HE CROSS PATHS WH ZARRILLO ON HIS OWN WAY TO THE STAND, KATAMI KISS HIM.YOU CRY WATCHG THE CASE AGAST 8 NOT JT BEE OF THAT DAMN, MASTERFUL PIANO, BUT BEE IS A PRECISELY OBSERVED EMBODIMENT OF THE FIGHT FOR EQUALY: THE BIG SPEECH ABOUT THE RIGHT TO LIVE EQUALLY AND OPENLY AS ANYONE ELSE ALONGSI THE LATE HOURS OFFIC, THE BIG MOMENTS ALONGSI THE SMALL, THE REGNN OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATNSHIPS WH THOSE YOU LOVE, AND THE BRAVERY OF PUTTG YOURSELF THE PUBLIC EYE, AND G HOME TO A HORRIBLE PHONE MSAGE OM A BIGOT TELLG YOU YOU’RE DISGTG.ON YOU FIGHT. AS OLSON SAYS, ALMOST DISBELIEVGLY: WHAT POSSIBLE ARGUMENT IS THERE AGAST EQUALY, TO MATA EQUALY? THE LLAPSE OF THE PRO-PROPOSN 8 SE SHOWS THERE IS NO RATNAL ARGUMENT TO DISCRIMATE. AS MUCH AS YOU MIGHT WEEP WATCHG THE DOCUMENTARY, YOU MAY FD YOURSELF, LIKE ME, BEG CREASGLY ANGRY THAT ANY OF THIS HAS TO HAPPEN THE FIRST PLACE: THE SHEER POTLSNS OF BIGOTRY, S BASELSNS, THE LACK OF ARGUMENT TO BACK UP A URT OF LAW, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY WASTED ON NONTG S LEGIMIZATN TO STATUTE.AS THE PRO-PROPOSN 8 SI FIGHTS S EVER-DIMISHG RNER, YOU ARE REMD OF DOROTHY THE WIZARD OF OZ (THE UPL, OLSON AND BOI) ALIGHTG UPON THE WIZARD (THE PRO-PROP 8 SI), WHO SPE HIS BOOMG VOICE AND PYROTECHNICS, IS JT A SILLY MAN WH SOME LEVERS BEHD A CURTA. HOW DID BIGOTRY ATTA SUCH POWER, AND HOW WAS SO END TO OUR LAWS? THAT’S THE OUTRAGE YOU FEEL AS YOU WATCH THE CASE AGAST 8.THE TLE SELF BE BOTHERSOME, BEE THE SE FOR 8, AND HOW SUDNLY WASH AWAY AND IMPLOS OFF-MERA, IS ALMOST MORE TANTALIZG THAN WHAT WE ARE WATCHG: THIS VIEWER WANTED TO SEE THE OFFICE MEETGS AND LEGAL DISCSNS BEHD THEIR SCEN.THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME THE MOST DIFFICULT SCENE TO FILM WAS THE LAST. THE UPL HAD JT WON THEIR 2013 LG THE SUPREME COURT, SEEG THE FAL EXTGUISHG OF PROPOSN 8 (THE SAME DAY AS EDIE WDSOR'S LANDMARK SE SAW OFF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT), AND NOW THEY WANTED TO GET MARRIED—THE WOMEN SAN FRANCIS AND THE MEN LOS ANGEL.IF THERE IS A “WHOOP” MOMENT THE FILM WHEN KAMALA HARRIS, THE STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL, ABOUT TO MARRY PERRY AND STIER SAN FRANCIS’S CY HALL, TELLS THE CLERKS HOLDG UP THE MEN’S EFFORTS TO MARRY LOS ANGEL THAT SHE IS STCTG THEM TO MARRY THE MEN. LIKE, NOW. OR, AS SHE SAYS BLUNTLY, “YOU MT START THE MARRIAGE IMMEDIATELY.” THIS IS WHEN THE PIANO REALLY GETS GOG. YOU WILL NEED TISSU AS THE TWO UPL FALLY EXCHANGE THEIR VOWS. THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME WAS THE BT MOMENT TO FILM, BUT ALSO THE MOST DIFFICULT, AS THE CREW THEMSELV HAD SPENT SO LONG WH THE UPL THEY WERE EXTREMELY EMOTNAL TO BE WH THEM FOR THIS MOMENT.IS THE DOCUMENTARY TOO WELL-BEHAVED? Y. BUT IS ALSO CREDIBLY MOVG AND STCTIVE TO WATCH THE CHG TOWARDS SOCIAL JTICE. THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME THAT, LIKE PERRY AND STIER SAY SO ELOQUENTLY THE FILM, THAT THEY HOPE THE FILM HAS A WI REACH AND PURPOSE. A POSIVE RULT FOR EQUALY, THEY SAY, SENDS A POWERFUL MSAGE TO THOSE LIVG PLAC OF NOT-SUCH GREAT ACCEPTANCE, WHO FEEL LONELY AND ISOLATED, THAT WHILE FEELG ALL OF THAT, LOOK, THE LAW FALLY REGNIZ YOUR EQUAL WORTH TO EVERYONE ELSE.THE DOCUMENTARY MAK CLEAR THAT THE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY SELF IS FAR OM OVER; BUT WHAT DON’T ASK, AND SHOULD EVEN PASSG, IS THAT THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT’S REAL CHALLENGE IS TO FD A FOC AFTER MARRIAGE EQUALY. EQUALY IS NOT JT ABOUT MARRIAGE, ALTHOUGH HAS SEEMED LIKE IS FOR SO LONG NOW, AND SOMETIM EQUALY ISN’T JT ABOUT WHAT N BE ENSHRED LAW. THOSE FIGHTS, MORE PLITED AND LS MERA-IENDLY, MT BE NONTED LONG AFTER THE LAST BOUQUET HAS BEEN TOSSED, NFETTI BLOWN AWAY, AND LAST CHORD OF THAT DAMN FE PIANO BEEN PLAYED.THE CASE AGAST 8 GO ON RELEASE SELECTED CI OM TODAY, AND WILL BE SHOWN ON HBO ON JUNE 23 AT 9 P.M. THIS ARTICLE WAS AMEND ON JUNE 10, TO CLARIFY THAT THE PROP 8 PARTICIPANTS' SE WAS NOT LKED TO THE STRIKG DOWN OF DOMA (WHICH WAS LKED TO THE SE OF EDIE WDSOR). TIM TEEMAN
• REVIEW: ‘LARRY KRAMER LOVE & ANGER,’ PORTRA OF THE REBEL AS GAY ACTIVIST
• HBO HOLDS RECEPTN FOR GAY UPL WED UTAH

HBO’S “THE CASE AGAST 8”: AN INTIMATE LOOK AT ONE OF GAY MARRIAGE’S GREATT VICTORI

Ry and her olr sister Ca were born via sperm donors; two gay men that the girls grew up knowg. When Rso and Young wanted to have kids the early 1980s, not only was gay marriage s away om beg legalized, but most sperm banks would not serve same-sex upl, and same-sex upl had no legal protectns.

“People didn’t know what to do wh both the gay and lbian muny and outsi of , ” Young rells. “Gay fai, my fay, were so unr the radar. ” In argug for his right to be Rso-Young’s father, Steel and his legal team prented sexist and homophobic psdo-science, cludg the now-funct theory of “lbian fn”—a psychologil theory om the 1980s that lbians form overly close nnectns that are ultimately bad for the child.

GAY MARRIAGE DOCUMENTARI WRG STANT HISTORY

In New York state, where Steel’s lawsu was filed, protectns for LGBTQ fai have grown much stronger the years sce the legalizatn of gay marriage. Keiynan Lonsdale as Bayard RtHBO MaxEqual’s Bt Episo Lets Queer Black People Take Center Stage In Their Own HistoryThe show’s third episo, “Black Is Betiful, Gay is Good!

Too often, queer Black people are wrten out of our own histori — om the books we’re fed history class, you’d assume the Civil Rights Movement was only led by straight Black men and women, while the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement was spearhead by a sea of whe gay men. That’s why ’s nice to see a sectn dited to someone like Bayard Rt, the unapologetilly gay activist behd ccial Civil Rights events like the March on Washgton, the Freedom Ris, and the Southern Christian Learship Conference.

HBO DOCUMENTARY ON GAY MARRIAGE RULG ANNOUNCED

Dto Cole Doman as journalist and Gay Liberatn Front founr Mark Segal, Pose’s Hailie Sahar as Sylvia River, and former Ameri’s Next Top Mol nttant Isis Kg as a pose of all the trans women that banned together for the Compton’s Cafeteria Rt of 1966. The next time a big, hot-shot Hollywood producer needs to st an actor a queer role, I hope they flip through Equal for a few actual queer ndidat before immediately jumpg to the Rami Maleks and Taron Egertons of the Kg as AlexisHBO MaxBilly Porter’s Narratn Is ComfortgWhile the weird mash-up between doceri and reenactment drama is one of Equal’s chief shortgs, I’d be remiss not to pour my praise onto the narratn of Billy Porter, whose voice is exactly what I image God’s sounds like as he wel newers to the Kgdom of Gay Heaven. Before Sean Penn played the charismatic, martyred gay polician a dramatized film, we got to see the real Harvey Milk this documentary om director Rob Epste.

Director Marlon Riggs chronicled the experienc of Black gay men this 1989 documentary, wrten by Joseph Beam, Essex Hemphill, and Chris Harris. The team of Rob Epste and Jefey Friedman me up wh another important documentary 1996's The Celluloid Closet, based on the classic book by Vo Rso and explorg how Hollywood has portrayed homosexualy.

"Hollywood, that great maker of myths, tght straight people what to thk about gays and gay people what to thk about themselv, " says narrator Lily Toml. It's Elementary: Talkg About Gay Issu School. In an era when right-wgers are phg "don't say gay" polici schools, this documentary om 1996 remas as timely as ever.

HBO TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY ON GAY MARRIAGE LEGAL FIGHT

Rt, a Black gay man, was a key ai to Mart Luther Kg Jr. But he was often margalized bee of his gayns. Vo Rso was a pneer of the morn gay rights movement, a film enthiast wh encyclopedic knowledge, and a key player ACT UP.

He had strong opns on uture but was hard to p down about his sexual inty; he's been scribed as gay, bisexual, or fluid, but he exprsed disda for labels.

In 1973 at the Upstairs Lounge New Orleans, an arson fire took the liv of 32 people, mostly gay men.

HOW GAY MARRIAGE WAS WON: PROP 8’S DTCTN CAPTURED IN HBO MOVIETWO UPL, A LAWYER ODD-UPLE, EMOTNALLY EXHSTG DAYS OF TTIMONY, AND A VICTOR DAY AT THE SUPREME COURT—ONE OF THE PIVOTAL GAY RIGHTS BATTL OF RECENT YEARS IS EVOKED ‘THE CASE AGAST 8.’TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 4:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 06, 2014 5:45AM EDT AFER/DIANA WALKER/HBO BLAKE NEELY, I AM BILLG YOU FOR THE TISSU. THE EMOTNAL TRAJECTORY OF THE CASE AGAST 8 IS SWEEPG, AND TEAR-ELICG, ENOUGH WHOUT THE HBO DOCUMENTARY’S MIL DIRECTOR’S VASTATGLY EFFECTIVE PIANO ACPANIMENT TOO. THE TWO-HOUR FILM, WHICH WON PRTIG AWARDS AT SUNDANCE, SXSW, AND THE VAIL FILM FTIVAL, FOLLOWS THE THREE-YEAR LEGAL FIGHT OF THE TWO UPL WHO WERE THE FIGUREHEADS OF THE FIGHT AGAST THE VOTER-ENSHRED PROPOSN 8, WHICH STATED THAT CALIFORNIA REGNIZED MARRIAGE AS SOMETHG ONLY BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. IT PASSED THE SAME NIGHT AT BARACK OBAMA BEME PRINT 2008: A HORRIBLE KICK THE GUT, THE WORST HANER EVER. NEELY’S PIANO PLAYG DON’T JT STRIKE UP AT THE MOST MOVG MOMENTS THE FILM—WHEN KRIS PERRY AND HER PARTNER SANDY STIER, AND PL KATAMI AND HIS PARTNER JEFF ZARRILLO, W ONE OF A MYRIAD OF LEGAL VICTORI WHICH LEAD THEM EVER CLOSER TO OVERTURNG PROP 8—BUT ALSO THE QUIETER STRETCH OF THE NARRATIVE TOO, BEE, AS THE FILM MAK CLEAR, THREE YEARS IS A LONG TIME, AND THOSE FIGHTG TO KEEP PROP 8 PLACE WERE TERMED TO EXHST EVERY LEGAL REURSE BEFORE ADMTG FEAT.THE UPL SHARE THE DOCUMENTARY'S FOC WH TED OLSON AND DAVID BOI, THE TWO LAWYERS FAMED FOR BEG ON OPPOSG SIS THE URTROOM DRAMA THAT RULTED GEE BH BEG ELECTED PRINT 2000 (OLSON, THE RIGHT-WGER, REPRENTED BH, ARGUG—ULTIMATELY SUCCSFULLY—FLORIDA SHOULD STOP S REUNT; BOI REPRENTED AL GORE). OLSON WAS LATER SUCCSFULLY NOMATED FOR THE POST OF SOLICOR GENERAL BY BH 2001. WHEN THIS UNLIKELY DREAM TEAM ME TOGETHER TO FIGHT TO MOLISH PROPOSN 8, MANY GAYS AND LIBERALS ULDN’T BELIEVE , AND ASSUMED OLSON WAS SOMEHOW A RIGHT-WG MOLE, WORKG TO STROY THE E OF EQUALY RATHER THAN SUPPORT . BUT NO, AND ONE OF THE MORE SURPRISG REVELATNS OF THE FILM IS THAT THE MEN WERE IENDS ANYWAY. BOI SAYS THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE N UNRSTAND WHAT A FIGHT LIKE THE FLORIDA UNT IS AND HOW AFFECTS YOU—AND FOR BOTH MEN, ONLY EACH OTHER DID. OLSON TAK ON THE SE BEE, AS HE SAYS, “MARRIAGE IS A NSERVATIVE VALUE.”ONE OF MY FAVORE MOMENTS THE FILM SE OLSON SWL WHEN HE THKS THERE IS NO PIZZA PROVID DURG ONE EXTEND MEETG THERE. BOI TELLS HIM THERE ARE ONLY TAS. OLSON’S EXPRSN AT THAT MOMENT MAK YOU NEVER WANT TO BE ON THE WRONG SI OF HIM URT.WE LEARN, UNSURPRISGLY, THAT THE TWO UPL WERE CHOSEN BY THE AMERIN FOUNDATN FOR EQUAL RIGHTS—FOUND BY CHAD GRIFF TO FIGHT PROPOSN 8—ONLY AFTER EXTENSIVE VETTG: EVERYTHG THEIR PASTS AND PRENTS WERE EXAMED BY EXPERTS AND PRIVATE TECTIV. THE FILM SPENDS TIME WH THEM, BUT WE NEVER REALLY GET TO KNOW THEM. THEY SPEAK FE SENTENC, THEY ARE MOVG AND DIGNIFIED, THEY ARE QUIZZED MOCK-URTROOM SETUPS SIGNED TO TT THEIR EMOTNAL STRENGTH, BUT WE NEVER GET UNR THE SK OF THEIR RELATNSHIPS. I KEPT THKG THEY WERE THE MOST RO UPL I HAD EVER SEEN ON SCREEN, GAY OR STRAIGHT: THE WOMEN ARE FILMED TALKG NONCHALANTLY ABOUT WHAT KD OF NUTR SUPPER TO PREPARE; THE MEN, PUTTG UP THEIR CHRISTMAS RATNS. PERRY KVETCH WHEN THEIR TW SONS ARE PLAYG ELECTRONIC GAM, AND THE LOVELY BOYS HAVE ONLY THE KST AND MOST LOVG THGS TO SAY ABOUT THEIR MOMS, AND THAT’S FE. BUT EVERYONE IS ON THEIR BT BEHAVR; PERHAPS THE EDORIAL JUDGMENT HERE IS THAT ANYTHG LS ULD BE A BONE TO THE OTHER SI.THAT’S POLIC FOR THE UPL AND AFER, BUT DON’T MAKE FOR PERATG DOCUMENTARY-MAKG. THIS ISN’T AN ARGUMENT FOR SEEG SI BEDROOMS OR MUCKY SALACNS, JT PERHAPS WHAT DISCSNS THERE WERE BETWEEN THE UPL THEMSELV ABOUT TAKG ON THE SE (WE HEAR SNATCH DIVIDUALLY ABOUT THIS BUT NOT AS A DISCSN BETWEEN THEM), OR FOLLOWG THEM HOME AFTER A TAXG DAY URT.WE HEAR ABOUT THE EMOTNAL NATURE OF THE UPL’ LIV TOGETHER—THE PARTS THAT GO WELL WH SWELLG PIANO MIC—BUT NOT THE NTY-GRTY. THE FILM IS AS NTROLLED WHAT SHOWS AS THOSE AFER TECTIV WERE FDG OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO FD OUT ABOUT THE QUARTET OF PUBLIC FAC. THIS IS ONE OF THE WEAKER ASPECTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY: THE ACCS TO THE UPL, AND TO THE TERNAL MEETGS AT AFER, ARE BOTH PRUMABLY AT THE BEHT AT THE LATTER; AND SO WE NEVER GET A SENSE OF DARKER MOMENTS, OR OF TERNAL WRANGL, OR DISPUT, OR DISCSNS, OR DRAMAS. WE ARE NOT ONLY ON THE SI OF THE GOOD GUYS, BUT WE ARE ONLY EVER ON THE GOOD SI OF THE GOOD GUYS. AT A KEY MOMENT THE FILM, THE FILMMAKERS ARE LOCKED OUT OF A ROOM WHEN BIG NEWS BREAKS. THIS WOULD BE UNRSTANDABLE IF THEY WERE A NEWS CREW, AND AFER WERE SEEKG TO NTROL THE BREAKG OF A STORY THAT MOMENT, BUT NOT FOR A FILM WHICH WILL BE G OUT LONG AFTER THAT MOMENT HAS PASSED AND WHEN SEEG THAT MOMENT UNFOLD WOULD MAKE A HIGH POT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY.BUT THERE ARE MANY TANGIBLE SENSIVI PLAY. CHAD GRIFF, FOUNR OF AFER AND SCE 2012 THE PRINT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, WONRS—WHEN THE GROUP FAC IAL OPPOSN OM OTHER MPAIGNG GROUPS WHO THK 2010 IS “TOO EARLY” TO PICK MARRIAGE AS THE CENTRAL GAY RIGHTS FIGHT TO HAVE—WHY GAY GROUPS SPEND MORE TIME FIGHTG EACH OTHER THAN “RIGHT-WG NUT JOBS.”THOSE RIGHT-WGERS, ED THE OPPOSN, ARE UTTERLY ABSENT OM THE FILM. IN A PHONE TERVIEW, DIRECTORS BEN COTNER AND RYAN WHE SAID WAS NEVER THEIR TENTN TO MAKE THAT KD OF ALL-SIS-REPRENTED FILM: THEY WERE GAY CALIFORNIANS, AND WANTED TO CHART THE FIGHT-BACK AGAST THIS IQUO PIECE OF DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN. THEY SAID THEY HAD SHOT OVER 600 HOURS OF FILM.WHAT THE FILM DO MAKE CLEAR IS THAT THE “OTHER SI” HAD VERY LTLE THE WAY OF ARGUMENTS. THEIR EXPERT WNS WHERED UNR IAL QUTNG. THEY ULD NEVER EXACTLY PPOT THE ACTUAL HARM MARRIAGE EQUALY WOULD DO TO HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGE OR CHILDREN. IN THE END, THE REEDY VOICE OF THE PRO-PROP 8 UNSEL IS HEARD BLEATG AT THE SUPREME COURT THAT MARRIAGE EQUALY UNRM THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE, WHICH IS PROCREATN. BUT, AS THE JTIC ASK, WHAT ABOUT THE HETEROSEXUAL UPL WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND WHAT OF THE MANY LBIAN AND GAY PARENTS OUT THERE, TOO?THE UNSEL FOR PROPOSN 8 DON’T SOUND NVCED BY HIS OWN ARGUMENT, AND THE SUPREME COURT JTIC QUTNG HIS STUPID NTENTNS SOUND LIKE TEACHERS TRYG TO BE A PATIENT WH AN UNBELIEVABLY OBTE CHILD.THE FILM HAS THE TENSN OF THE TIMELE: THE VICTORI, FOLLOWED BY CHALLENG, FOLLOWED BY VICTORI, FOLLOWED BY CHALLENG. THE EMOTNAL MOMENTS THAT ARE UNEXPECTED ARE THE MOST PIERCG, SUCH AS WHEN ZARRILLO PREPAR TO GIVE THE FIRST SPEECH ANNOUNCG THE LEGAL CHALLENGE, AND HE CRI BEFOREHAND JT BEE HE NEEDS TO CRY.IT IS ALSO EXTREMELY MOVG WATCHG PERRY SAY THAT WAS ONLY WHEN SHE GAVE EVINCE, FOLLOWG THE LOGIC OF HER OWN THOUGHTS, THAT SHE REALIZED WHY THE SE, AND WHAT SHE AND STIER WERE FIGHTG FOR, WAS SO IMPORTANT: THAT LGBT PEOPLE BEE SO ED TO LIVG UNR “A BLANKET OF HATE,” THAT MANY, LIKE HER, “PE” WH LIFE, RATHER THAN LIVG AS OUT LOUD, AND WH ASPIRATNS FOR SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. WHEN ZARRILLO SAYS ON THE STAND THAT HE LOV KATAMI MORE THAN HE LOV HIMSELF, KATAMI GASPS; AND WHEN HE CROSS PATHS WH ZARRILLO ON HIS OWN WAY TO THE STAND, KATAMI KISS HIM.YOU CRY WATCHG THE CASE AGAST 8 NOT JT BEE OF THAT DAMN, MASTERFUL PIANO, BUT BEE IS A PRECISELY OBSERVED EMBODIMENT OF THE FIGHT FOR EQUALY: THE BIG SPEECH ABOUT THE RIGHT TO LIVE EQUALLY AND OPENLY AS ANYONE ELSE ALONGSI THE LATE HOURS OFFIC, THE BIG MOMENTS ALONGSI THE SMALL, THE REGNN OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATNSHIPS WH THOSE YOU LOVE, AND THE BRAVERY OF PUTTG YOURSELF THE PUBLIC EYE, AND G HOME TO A HORRIBLE PHONE MSAGE OM A BIGOT TELLG YOU YOU’RE DISGTG.ON YOU FIGHT. AS OLSON SAYS, ALMOST DISBELIEVGLY: WHAT POSSIBLE ARGUMENT IS THERE AGAST EQUALY, TO MATA EQUALY? THE LLAPSE OF THE PRO-PROPOSN 8 SE SHOWS THERE IS NO RATNAL ARGUMENT TO DISCRIMATE. AS MUCH AS YOU MIGHT WEEP WATCHG THE DOCUMENTARY, YOU MAY FD YOURSELF, LIKE ME, BEG CREASGLY ANGRY THAT ANY OF THIS HAS TO HAPPEN THE FIRST PLACE: THE SHEER POTLSNS OF BIGOTRY, S BASELSNS, THE LACK OF ARGUMENT TO BACK UP A URT OF LAW, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY WASTED ON NONTG S LEGIMIZATN TO STATUTE.AS THE PRO-PROPOSN 8 SI FIGHTS S EVER-DIMISHG RNER, YOU ARE REMD OF DOROTHY THE WIZARD OF OZ (THE UPL, OLSON AND BOI) ALIGHTG UPON THE WIZARD (THE PRO-PROP 8 SI), WHO SPE HIS BOOMG VOICE AND PYROTECHNICS, IS JT A SILLY MAN WH SOME LEVERS BEHD A CURTA. HOW DID BIGOTRY ATTA SUCH POWER, AND HOW WAS SO END TO OUR LAWS? THAT’S THE OUTRAGE YOU FEEL AS YOU WATCH THE CASE AGAST 8.THE TLE SELF BE BOTHERSOME, BEE THE SE FOR 8, AND HOW SUDNLY WASH AWAY AND IMPLOS OFF-MERA, IS ALMOST MORE TANTALIZG THAN WHAT WE ARE WATCHG: THIS VIEWER WANTED TO SEE THE OFFICE MEETGS AND LEGAL DISCSNS BEHD THEIR SCEN.THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME THE MOST DIFFICULT SCENE TO FILM WAS THE LAST. THE UPL HAD JT WON THEIR 2013 LG THE SUPREME COURT, SEEG THE FAL EXTGUISHG OF PROPOSN 8 (THE SAME DAY AS EDIE WDSOR'S LANDMARK SE SAW OFF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT), AND NOW THEY WANTED TO GET MARRIED—THE WOMEN SAN FRANCIS AND THE MEN LOS ANGEL.IF THERE IS A “WHOOP” MOMENT THE FILM WHEN KAMALA HARRIS, THE STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL, ABOUT TO MARRY PERRY AND STIER SAN FRANCIS’S CY HALL, TELLS THE CLERKS HOLDG UP THE MEN’S EFFORTS TO MARRY LOS ANGEL THAT SHE IS STCTG THEM TO MARRY THE MEN. LIKE, NOW. OR, AS SHE SAYS BLUNTLY, “YOU MT START THE MARRIAGE IMMEDIATELY.” THIS IS WHEN THE PIANO REALLY GETS GOG. YOU WILL NEED TISSU AS THE TWO UPL FALLY EXCHANGE THEIR VOWS. THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME WAS THE BT MOMENT TO FILM, BUT ALSO THE MOST DIFFICULT, AS THE CREW THEMSELV HAD SPENT SO LONG WH THE UPL THEY WERE EXTREMELY EMOTNAL TO BE WH THEM FOR THIS MOMENT.IS THE DOCUMENTARY TOO WELL-BEHAVED? Y. BUT IS ALSO CREDIBLY MOVG AND STCTIVE TO WATCH THE CHG TOWARDS SOCIAL JTICE. THE DIRECTORS TOLD ME THAT, LIKE PERRY AND STIER SAY SO ELOQUENTLY THE FILM, THAT THEY HOPE THE FILM HAS A WI REACH AND PURPOSE. A POSIVE RULT FOR EQUALY, THEY SAY, SENDS A POWERFUL MSAGE TO THOSE LIVG PLAC OF NOT-SUCH GREAT ACCEPTANCE, WHO FEEL LONELY AND ISOLATED, THAT WHILE FEELG ALL OF THAT, LOOK, THE LAW FALLY REGNIZ YOUR EQUAL WORTH TO EVERYONE ELSE.THE DOCUMENTARY MAK CLEAR THAT THE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY SELF IS FAR OM OVER; BUT WHAT DON’T ASK, AND SHOULD EVEN PASSG, IS THAT THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT’S REAL CHALLENGE IS TO FD A FOC AFTER MARRIAGE EQUALY. EQUALY IS NOT JT ABOUT MARRIAGE, ALTHOUGH HAS SEEMED LIKE IS FOR SO LONG NOW, AND SOMETIM EQUALY ISN’T JT ABOUT WHAT N BE ENSHRED LAW. THOSE FIGHTS, MORE PLITED AND LS MERA-IENDLY, MT BE NONTED LONG AFTER THE LAST BOUQUET HAS BEEN TOSSED, NFETTI BLOWN AWAY, AND LAST CHORD OF THAT DAMN FE PIANO BEEN PLAYED.THE CASE AGAST 8 GO ON RELEASE SELECTED CI OM TODAY, AND WILL BE SHOWN ON HBO ON JUNE 23 AT 9 P.M. THIS ARTICLE WAS AMEND ON JUNE 10, TO CLARIFY THAT THE PROP 8 PARTICIPANTS' SE WAS NOT LKED TO THE STRIKG DOWN OF DOMA (WHICH WAS LKED TO THE SE OF EDIE WDSOR). TIM TEEMAN

The btal murr of gay llege stunt Matthew Shepard 1998 was a hate crime that shocked the world. Bowers says he fixed Kathare Hepburn up wh 150 women and that her supposed love affair wh Spencer Tracy was a ver for the gay tennci of both. Gay Chos Deep South.

The San Francis Gay Men's Chos went on a journey of renciliatn at a divisive time -- durg the 2016 printial mpaign -- tourg the Deep South, nsired hostile terrory by many LGBTQ+ people. At the time, “beg gay meant that you were not gog to have children, ” Young says the film. “We wanted gay men as donors, ” says Rso.

REVIEW: ‘LARRY KRAMER LOVE & ANGER,’ PORTRA OF THE REBEL AS GAY ACTIVIST

They reached out to two different gay men livg California (both were troduced by mutual iends) to donate the sperm need to nceive Rso-Young and her olr sister, Ca, now 41.

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Filmmaker Ry Rso-Young (top right) is the dghter of two lbians who battled urt wh Ry’s gay sperm donor, Tom Steel, over parental rights the ’ Post photo pose. Rso-Young’s goal for the film is to draw attentn to every gay fay, pecially sce the Equaly Act — which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and clus protectns for LGBTQ+ people agast discrimatn — still has not been signed to law and signifint threats rema for LGBTQ+ fai.

HBO HOLDS RECEPTN FOR GAY UPL WED UTAH

To be gay, or perceived as gay, Ai’s most populo untry is to be crimal. Hate and discrimatn are dified to the law: In 2014, then-Print Goodluck Jonathan passed the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibn Act (SSMPA), which forbids public displays of affectn between people of the same sex and prohibs gay people om gatherg publicly or privately. Vlatg this law — which tensified existg homophobic attus the untry and sanctned vlence agast LGBTQ Nigerians — uld lead to a 14-year prison sentence.

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Although the film primarily looks at Micheal’s journey and the se of the 57 young men, also wins s spe to exame homophobia Nigeria more generally. The lg officially overturned Proposn 8—an earlier ballot iative that nullified a 2008 lg om California’s hight urt legalizg gay marriage—effectively makg gay marriage legal aga the state. While much of the untry was celebratg Barack Obama’s victory, gay marriage supporters were shocked and sadned by the electn rults g out of California, where voters had approved Prop 8.