NEWLY RESTORED FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RIOTS

Fifty years after the riots gave birth to the modern lesbian and gay liberation movement, and with substantial progress made, LGBT Americans still find themselves fighting on many fronts for full equality, in the U.S. and around the world; Before Stonewall offers a potent reminder of what life was like for LGBT people before that extraordinary event.

Before Stonewall - The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community

SYNOPSIS

In 1969 the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, leading to three nights of rioting by the city's gay community. With this outpouring of courage and unity the Gay Liberation Movement had begun.

Before Stonewall pries open the closet door--setting free the dramatic story of the sometimes horrifying public and private existences experienced by gay and lesbian Americans since the 1920s. Revealing and often humorous, this widely acclaimed film relives the emotionally-charged sparking of today's gay rights movement, from the events that led to the fevered 1969 riots to many other milestones in the brave fight for acceptance.

Experience the fascinating and unforgettable, decade-by-decade history of homosexuality in America through eye-opening historical footage and amazing interviews with those who lived through an often brutal closeted history.

Narrated by iconic author Rita Mae Brown, the film features stirring interviews with pioneering cultural figures and activists including Audre Lorde, Allen Ginsberg, Harry Hay, Richard Bruce Nugent, Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings.

"Entertaining and enlightening!"
- Los Angeles Times

"Funny, sad, courageous and touching!"
- Seattle Times

"A Must-See!"
- LA Weekly