Dt Lance Black’s New ABC Drama Aims to Brg Gay History to Middle Ameri

Contents:

• TIMELE: KEY MOMENTS FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS
• ABC’S GAY HISTORY SERI WHEN WE RISE IS A THROWBACK, MORE WAYS THAN ONEIT’S A WELL-TENTNED MI-SERI ABOUT RECENT HISTORY THAT N’T QUE STAND UP TO THE PRENT DAY.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 1, 2017COURTY OF ABC.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHERE’S A CERTA PA WATCHG WHEN WE RISE, THE ABC MI-SERI ABOUT THE GAY RIGHTS STGGL OF THE LAST 40 YEARS THAT AIRS THIS WEEK. SOMETHG ABOUT THE SERI—EARNTLY WRTEN BY MILK OSR-WNER DT LANCE BLACK—SEEMS SO DATED THE TMPIAN TIM. IT’S A DUTIFUL AND OCSNALLY MOVG, IF RATHER ARTLS, RECREATN OF LANDMARK MOMENTS THE LGBT STGGLE—OM THE DAYS OF HARVEY MILK TO THE END OF DOMA—THAT REMDS OF HOW MUCH WE’VE GAED, Y, BUT ALSO HOW MUCH WE NOW STAND TO LOSE. IT’S HONORABLE THAT ABC IS AIRG THE SERI, BUT ALSO FEELS LIKE THE WORK PLANNED ON PRENTG UNR A NASCENT CLTON ADMISTRATN. A FALE DA ABOUT THE STGGLE NTUG—FOR ALL KDS OF MORI, NOT JT QUEER PEOPLE—SEEMS TACKED ON, A BALLAST TO ALL THE TRIUMPHALISM THAT’S E BEFORE. AFTER ALL, DO ANYONE FEEL TRIUMPHANT ABOUT ANYTHG RIGHT NOW? (WELL, Y—SOME PEOPLE DO, OF URSE.)THE SERI DID MAKE ME CRY, THOUGH. I CRIED AT THE SAD REVEAL OF WHO AMONG THE YOUNG DREAMERS AND ACTIVISTS THAT APPEAR THE FIRST HALF OF THE SERI’ EIGHT EPISOS LATER DIED OF AIDS. THEY’RE IENDS, ALYT, AND LOVERS OF CLEVE JON, WHO IS AT THE CENTER OF WHEN WE RISE. HE’S PLAYED AS AN ADULT BY A MTED, ONLY OCSNALLY OVER-SWISHY GUY PEARCE, AND AS A NFINT, DRIVEN YOUNG MAN BY AT P. MCKENZIE, MAKG A STRIKG SCREEN BUT. THOSE CLEVE’S ORB—PLAYED BY NICK EVERSMAN AND ADAM DIMAR, AMONG OTHERS—ARE VERSNS OF REAL IENDS OF CLEVE JON, SO THERE’S A LIVELY SPECIFICY TO THEIR BCHY AND IMPASSNED RAPPORT. SO ’S A PRETTY VASTATG BLOW WHEN WE JUMP FORWARD TO THE EARLY 1990S AND FD OUT WHO DIDN’T MAKE . WHAT A TERRIBLE THG, TO LOSE ALL THAT BRIGHT PERSONALY. (I OFTEN FD MYSELF DOG A GRIM THOUGHT EXPERIMENT MY HEAD, IMAGG MY OWN CIRCLE OF GAY IENDS GOG THROUGH SOMETHG SIAR. IT’S TOO DREADFUL AND SURREAL A THOUGHT TO ENTERTA FOR TOO LONG, THOUGH.) THAT JON AND SO MANY OTHERS SURVIVED THIS HORROR AND KEPT FIGHTG IS PERHAPS THE SGLE MOST MOVG THG ABOUT WHEN WE RISE—THE SHEER TENACY OF RAVAGED PEOPLE.I ALSO CRIED AT A PARTICULARLY HARROWG VELOPMENT THE LIFE OF KEN JON, A LSER-KNOWN SAN FRANCIS ACTIVIST PLAYED AS AN ADULT BY MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS AND AS A NFLICTED YOUNG VIETNAM VET BY THE TERRIFIC JONATHAN MAJORS. KEN’S STORY IS THE SADST OF THE BUNCH, ONE MARKED BY LOSS, ADDICTN, AND SPIRUAL CRISIS. BUT HIS TRIALS GIVE WHEN WE RISE ROOM TO EXPLORE A HOST OF ISSU, ON THAT DWELL THE SPAC CREATED BY THE TERSECTNS OF SEXUALY, RACE, GENR INTY, AND ENOMICS. WHEN WE RISE ADDRS THE TOPICS MORE CURSORILY THAN DO AIDS OR GAY MARRIAGE, BUT THE SERI IS AT LEAST REFUL TO TOUCH ON THGS OUTSI THE PURVIEW OF THE WHE GAY MALE EXPERIENCE. FAT PRAISE, I KNOW, BUT ’S SOMETHG.AND THERE WERE TEARS TOWARD THE END OF THE SERI, WHICH NCLUS WH THE 2013 SUPREME COURT CISNS STRIKG DOWN PART OF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT AND UPHOLDG A LOWER URT LG REGARDG THE UNNSTUTNALY OF PROP 8. WE SEE ACTIVIST ROMA GUY, PLAYED BY MARY-LOUISE PARKER, WED HER PARTNER OF 30-ODD YEARS, A SWELLG SENSE OF ACPLISHMENT FILLG THE HAPPY SCEN. IN EARLIER STRETCH, GUY IS PLAYED BY FUN HOME STAR EY SKEGGS, AND WHILE THE PERFORMANC DON’T REALLY SYNC UP (E TO THK OF , NONE OF THEM REALLY DO), GUY REMAS A PELLG FIGURE THROUGHOUT: SHE’S PRICKLY AND STUBBORN AND A LTLE SELFISH, BUT THROUGH WHEN UNTS. IN A SERI FULL OF TH CHARACTERIZATNS, SKEGGS AND PARKER DO A GOOD B OF PADDG.DPE THOSE EMOTNAL MOMENTS, MUCH OF WHEN WE RISE—PARTICULARLY THE SECTNS AFTER THE OLR ACTORS TAKE OVER—FEELS LIKE PLODDG, ONLY DLY ENGAGG HOMEWORK. ANYONE REASONABLY FAIAR WH RECENT GAY HISTORY WON’T LEARN MUCH, AND GIVEN THE SERI’ SO-FAR DISMAL RATGS, DON’T SEEM LIKELY THAT NEW HEARTS AND MDS ARE BEG CHANGED. THEN AGA, WHO KNOWS! MAYBE I SHOULDN’T BE SO PSIMISTIC. IT’S HARD NOT TO BE THAT WAY RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, WHEN SO MUCH IS BLEAK AND IGHTENG, WH AN ADMISTRATN SEEMG TO NAME TRANS PEOPLE AMONG S MANY TARGETS. WHEN WE RISE ADMIRABLY ILLTRAT THE VIRTUE AND NECSY OF ACTIVISM, BUT DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MCLE. THERE’S A PNS, A POLENS AT ROOT THE SERI THAT WHERS THE HARSH GLARE OF OUR POLIL MOMENT.THE EARLIER PARTS OF THE SERI ARE WORTH A WATCH, THOUGH. THE ACTG IS SPIRED, AND THE TONE IS LOOSER AND LS DIDACTIC THAN THE LATTER HALF OF THE SERI, WHICH IS STARCHY AND EXPOSNAL. THERE’S A SEXUAL ANKNS—FOR THE MEN, ANYWAY; TALK OF TOPS AND BOTTOMS AND TWKS—THAT IS RATHER REHG, AND SURPRISG GIVEN THAT THIS IS WORK TELEVISN. MCKENZIE, SKEGGS, AND MAJORS LEND THE STORY YOUTHFUL URGENCY AND VIGOR, VIVIDLY EMBODYG THE RTLS, HUNGRY ENERGY SUCCSFUL POLIL MOVEMENTS NEED AT THEIR CENTER. IT’S SAD WHEN THEY GO AWAY.WHICH POTS TO SOMETHG MORE EFFABLY TRAGIC ABOUT THE SERI. IN SOME SENSE, STRIPPED OF S PARTICULAR POLIL NTEXT, WHEN WE RISE IS SIMPLY A STORY OF THREE PEOPLE AGG AND EXPERIENCG LIFE’S PAS AND PLEASUR. WE SEE THEM FIRST AS WI-EYED AND EXPECTANT YOUNG PEOPLE—SO READY AND WILLG TO GRAPPLE WH THE WORLD. AND THEN WE WATCH AS THEY GRAY AND SLOW DOWN. WHICH IS SAD— A WISTFUL, MELANCHOLY SENSE. BUT ’S IMPORTANT, OF URSE, TO REGNIZE THAT, WHILE THEY MAY SLOW, THEY DON’T STOP. THAT CLEVE JON, ROMA GUY, AND KEN JON DID NOT LET THE PILE OF YEARS SMOTHER THEIR DITN TO THEIR E IS, WELL, AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL. A NEW DARKNS HAS SCEND ON THE WORLD. AT THE VERY LEAST, WHEN WE RISE REMDS OF THE LIGHT.MOST POPULARPRCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE’S HEART OF INVICT NETFLIX DOC GETS A TRAILER AND RELEASE DATEBY KASE WICKMANMILLIE BOBBY BROWN IS READY FOR THE END OF STRANGER THGSBY CHRIS MURPHYFIRST LOOK: PL ML AND SAOIRSE RONAN FACE A DANGERO FUTURE FOEBY DAVID CANFIELDRICHARD LAWSON
• ‘WHEN WE RISE’: STORI BEHD THE PA AND PRI OF GAY RIGHTS
• DT LANCE BLACK’S NEW ABC DRAMA AIMS TO BRG GAY HISTORY TO MIDDLE AMERI
• 10 MILTONE MOMENTS GAY TV HISTORY

TIMELE: KEY MOMENTS FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS

Every summer the Uned Stat, the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny together for a monthlong celebratn of love, diversy, acceptance and unashamed 's everythg you need to know about LGBT Pri is LGBT Pri Month? LGBT Pri Month is celebrated every year month of June was chosen for LGBT Pri Month to memorate the rts held by members of the LGBT muny agast a police raid that took place at the Stonewall Inn New York Cy on June 28, so-lled Stonewall rts were a "tippg pot" for the gay liberatn movement the Uned Stat, acrdg to the Library of Congrs.

ABC’S GAY HISTORY SERI WHEN WE RISE IS A THROWBACK, MORE WAYS THAN ONEIT’S A WELL-TENTNED MI-SERI ABOUT RECENT HISTORY THAT N’T QUE STAND UP TO THE PRENT DAY.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 1, 2017COURTY OF ABC.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHERE’S A CERTA PA WATCHG WHEN WE RISE, THE ABC MI-SERI ABOUT THE GAY RIGHTS STGGL OF THE LAST 40 YEARS THAT AIRS THIS WEEK. SOMETHG ABOUT THE SERI—EARNTLY WRTEN BY MILK OSR-WNER DT LANCE BLACK—SEEMS SO DATED THE TMPIAN TIM. IT’S A DUTIFUL AND OCSNALLY MOVG, IF RATHER ARTLS, RECREATN OF LANDMARK MOMENTS THE LGBT STGGLE—OM THE DAYS OF HARVEY MILK TO THE END OF DOMA—THAT REMDS OF HOW MUCH WE’VE GAED, Y, BUT ALSO HOW MUCH WE NOW STAND TO LOSE. IT’S HONORABLE THAT ABC IS AIRG THE SERI, BUT ALSO FEELS LIKE THE WORK PLANNED ON PRENTG UNR A NASCENT CLTON ADMISTRATN. A FALE DA ABOUT THE STGGLE NTUG—FOR ALL KDS OF MORI, NOT JT QUEER PEOPLE—SEEMS TACKED ON, A BALLAST TO ALL THE TRIUMPHALISM THAT’S E BEFORE. AFTER ALL, DO ANYONE FEEL TRIUMPHANT ABOUT ANYTHG RIGHT NOW? (WELL, Y—SOME PEOPLE DO, OF URSE.)THE SERI DID MAKE ME CRY, THOUGH. I CRIED AT THE SAD REVEAL OF WHO AMONG THE YOUNG DREAMERS AND ACTIVISTS THAT APPEAR THE FIRST HALF OF THE SERI’ EIGHT EPISOS LATER DIED OF AIDS. THEY’RE IENDS, ALYT, AND LOVERS OF CLEVE JON, WHO IS AT THE CENTER OF WHEN WE RISE. HE’S PLAYED AS AN ADULT BY A MTED, ONLY OCSNALLY OVER-SWISHY GUY PEARCE, AND AS A NFINT, DRIVEN YOUNG MAN BY AT P. MCKENZIE, MAKG A STRIKG SCREEN BUT. THOSE CLEVE’S ORB—PLAYED BY NICK EVERSMAN AND ADAM DIMAR, AMONG OTHERS—ARE VERSNS OF REAL IENDS OF CLEVE JON, SO THERE’S A LIVELY SPECIFICY TO THEIR BCHY AND IMPASSNED RAPPORT. SO ’S A PRETTY VASTATG BLOW WHEN WE JUMP FORWARD TO THE EARLY 1990S AND FD OUT WHO DIDN’T MAKE . WHAT A TERRIBLE THG, TO LOSE ALL THAT BRIGHT PERSONALY. (I OFTEN FD MYSELF DOG A GRIM THOUGHT EXPERIMENT MY HEAD, IMAGG MY OWN CIRCLE OF GAY IENDS GOG THROUGH SOMETHG SIAR. IT’S TOO DREADFUL AND SURREAL A THOUGHT TO ENTERTA FOR TOO LONG, THOUGH.) THAT JON AND SO MANY OTHERS SURVIVED THIS HORROR AND KEPT FIGHTG IS PERHAPS THE SGLE MOST MOVG THG ABOUT WHEN WE RISE—THE SHEER TENACY OF RAVAGED PEOPLE.I ALSO CRIED AT A PARTICULARLY HARROWG VELOPMENT THE LIFE OF KEN JON, A LSER-KNOWN SAN FRANCIS ACTIVIST PLAYED AS AN ADULT BY MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS AND AS A NFLICTED YOUNG VIETNAM VET BY THE TERRIFIC JONATHAN MAJORS. KEN’S STORY IS THE SADST OF THE BUNCH, ONE MARKED BY LOSS, ADDICTN, AND SPIRUAL CRISIS. BUT HIS TRIALS GIVE WHEN WE RISE ROOM TO EXPLORE A HOST OF ISSU, ON THAT DWELL THE SPAC CREATED BY THE TERSECTNS OF SEXUALY, RACE, GENR INTY, AND ENOMICS. WHEN WE RISE ADDRS THE TOPICS MORE CURSORILY THAN DO AIDS OR GAY MARRIAGE, BUT THE SERI IS AT LEAST REFUL TO TOUCH ON THGS OUTSI THE PURVIEW OF THE WHE GAY MALE EXPERIENCE. FAT PRAISE, I KNOW, BUT ’S SOMETHG.AND THERE WERE TEARS TOWARD THE END OF THE SERI, WHICH NCLUS WH THE 2013 SUPREME COURT CISNS STRIKG DOWN PART OF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT AND UPHOLDG A LOWER URT LG REGARDG THE UNNSTUTNALY OF PROP 8. WE SEE ACTIVIST ROMA GUY, PLAYED BY MARY-LOUISE PARKER, WED HER PARTNER OF 30-ODD YEARS, A SWELLG SENSE OF ACPLISHMENT FILLG THE HAPPY SCEN. IN EARLIER STRETCH, GUY IS PLAYED BY FUN HOME STAR EY SKEGGS, AND WHILE THE PERFORMANC DON’T REALLY SYNC UP (E TO THK OF , NONE OF THEM REALLY DO), GUY REMAS A PELLG FIGURE THROUGHOUT: SHE’S PRICKLY AND STUBBORN AND A LTLE SELFISH, BUT THROUGH WHEN UNTS. IN A SERI FULL OF TH CHARACTERIZATNS, SKEGGS AND PARKER DO A GOOD B OF PADDG.DPE THOSE EMOTNAL MOMENTS, MUCH OF WHEN WE RISE—PARTICULARLY THE SECTNS AFTER THE OLR ACTORS TAKE OVER—FEELS LIKE PLODDG, ONLY DLY ENGAGG HOMEWORK. ANYONE REASONABLY FAIAR WH RECENT GAY HISTORY WON’T LEARN MUCH, AND GIVEN THE SERI’ SO-FAR DISMAL RATGS, DON’T SEEM LIKELY THAT NEW HEARTS AND MDS ARE BEG CHANGED. THEN AGA, WHO KNOWS! MAYBE I SHOULDN’T BE SO PSIMISTIC. IT’S HARD NOT TO BE THAT WAY RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, WHEN SO MUCH IS BLEAK AND IGHTENG, WH AN ADMISTRATN SEEMG TO NAME TRANS PEOPLE AMONG S MANY TARGETS. WHEN WE RISE ADMIRABLY ILLTRAT THE VIRTUE AND NECSY OF ACTIVISM, BUT DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MCLE. THERE’S A PNS, A POLENS AT ROOT THE SERI THAT WHERS THE HARSH GLARE OF OUR POLIL MOMENT.THE EARLIER PARTS OF THE SERI ARE WORTH A WATCH, THOUGH. THE ACTG IS SPIRED, AND THE TONE IS LOOSER AND LS DIDACTIC THAN THE LATTER HALF OF THE SERI, WHICH IS STARCHY AND EXPOSNAL. THERE’S A SEXUAL ANKNS—FOR THE MEN, ANYWAY; TALK OF TOPS AND BOTTOMS AND TWKS—THAT IS RATHER REHG, AND SURPRISG GIVEN THAT THIS IS WORK TELEVISN. MCKENZIE, SKEGGS, AND MAJORS LEND THE STORY YOUTHFUL URGENCY AND VIGOR, VIVIDLY EMBODYG THE RTLS, HUNGRY ENERGY SUCCSFUL POLIL MOVEMENTS NEED AT THEIR CENTER. IT’S SAD WHEN THEY GO AWAY.WHICH POTS TO SOMETHG MORE EFFABLY TRAGIC ABOUT THE SERI. IN SOME SENSE, STRIPPED OF S PARTICULAR POLIL NTEXT, WHEN WE RISE IS SIMPLY A STORY OF THREE PEOPLE AGG AND EXPERIENCG LIFE’S PAS AND PLEASUR. WE SEE THEM FIRST AS WI-EYED AND EXPECTANT YOUNG PEOPLE—SO READY AND WILLG TO GRAPPLE WH THE WORLD. AND THEN WE WATCH AS THEY GRAY AND SLOW DOWN. WHICH IS SAD— A WISTFUL, MELANCHOLY SENSE. BUT ’S IMPORTANT, OF URSE, TO REGNIZE THAT, WHILE THEY MAY SLOW, THEY DON’T STOP. THAT CLEVE JON, ROMA GUY, AND KEN JON DID NOT LET THE PILE OF YEARS SMOTHER THEIR DITN TO THEIR E IS, WELL, AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL. A NEW DARKNS HAS SCEND ON THE WORLD. AT THE VERY LEAST, WHEN WE RISE REMDS OF THE LIGHT.MOST POPULARPRCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE’S HEART OF INVICT NETFLIX DOC GETS A TRAILER AND RELEASE DATEBY KASE WICKMANMILLIE BOBBY BROWN IS READY FOR THE END OF STRANGER THGSBY CHRIS MURPHYFIRST LOOK: PL ML AND SAOIRSE RONAN FACE A DANGERO FUTURE FOEBY DAVID CANFIELDRICHARD LAWSON

Gilbert Baker, an Amerin artist, gay rights activist and U. Army veteran, created the flag 1978 as a new symbol for the gay and lbian polil movement at the suggtn of his iends and lleagu, cludg Harvey Milk, a San Francis cy supervisor and the first openly gay elected official California. From bricks thrown at Stonewall to "Don't Say Gay" legislatn, the fight for equaly ntu.

Here is a look at some of the key moments LGBTQIA+ history and the fight for equal New York Daily NewsThough police raids on gay bars were mon the '60s, on June 28, 1969, patrons of New York's Stonewall Inn said "enough. " They fought back, rts broke out and supporters poured to the Wt Village, igng the gay rights movement the U. Wh six months, two gay activist anizatns were formed New York, and three newspapers were lnched for gays and, FILEHarvey Milk beme one of the first openly gay men elected to public office the Uned Stat when he won a seat on the board of supervisors 1977.

‘WHEN WE RISE’: STORI BEHD THE PA AND PRI OF GAY RIGHTS

An outspoken advote for gay rights, he urged others to e out and fight for their rights. He was assassated at Cy Hall jt a year Reste/Getty ImagHundreds of gay rights activists took to the Natnal Mall 1979 for the first Pri rally to ph to for equal rights the gay muny and the eedom to live Alpert/Getty Imag, FILEReverend John Kuiper, right, the first gay man Ameri to w the right to adopt a child, is shown wh his partner Roger Hooverman, durg a Gay Rights March, 1979, New Agosti/Liaison/Getty Imag, FILEStartg 1981, gay advocy groups began to form to talk about how the ernment was handlg the AIDS crisis, a new disease that manifted as pnmonia and was found mostly gay men.

He beme the face of the disease, which at the time was wily believed to only be a disease transmted between gay men, and helped break the stigma of beg only a "gay disease. "Joyce Naltchayan/AFP/Getty Imag, FILEBill Clton promised to lift the ban on gays servg the ary durg his mpaign for print, but he was unable to w enough support. She then lnched a daily talk show, "The Ellen Degener Show, " which ran for 19 Agosti/Getty Imag, FILEA ndlelight vigil is held for sla gay Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard New York, Oct.

DT LANCE BLACK’S NEW ABC DRAMA AIMS TO BRG GAY HISTORY TO MIDDLE AMERI

Bh lled for a nstutnal amendment banng gay NewsPrint Barack Obama be the first stg print to clare his support of same-sex marriage, durg an exclive terview wh ABC News, May 9, 2012.

William Alatriste/AP, FILENew York Cy Council Speaker Christe Qun beme the first female and first openly gay person to hold the posn the cy.

10 MILTONE MOMENTS GAY TV HISTORY

Colls would later sign wh the Brooklyn Nets and bee the first openly gay active player the Pl/Getty Imag, FILEIn the '90s, Congrs passed the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, fg marriage, for feral purpos, as a unn between one man and one woman, allowg stat to refe or not regnize same sex marriag.

Brandon Wa/AP, FILEMissouri senr fensive leman Michael Sam me out as gay after graduatg and beame the first openly gay player to be drafted to the NFL. He and boyiend Vo Cammisano stirred media ntroversy after a kiss they shared durg the 2014 NFL Draft when Sam was drafted to the Rams was emed appropriate by anti-gay Antonov/AFP/Getty Imag, FILEPeople celebrate outsi the U.