L.A. A QUEER HISTORY
Announcing the Northwest Premiere screening of the new documentary, L.A. A QUEER HISTORY on July 30 at Capitol Hill’s Broadway Performance Hall. Eight years in the making, this documentary chronicles the largely unknown LGBTQ history of Los Angeles. From the founding of the Mattachine Society in 1950, the first Gay Civil Rights organization, to the male and female impersonators that graced the stage at the Orpheum Theater to the first Gay Pride Parade down Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles has been at the forefront of LGBTQ culture and political action.
“New York and Stonewall often receive the most attention when it comes to the history of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, but Los Angeles played an integral role in LGBTQ history,” said Gregorio Davila, director of L.A. A QUEER HISTORY. “I wanted to tell the story of the brave people who were on the frontlines of LGBTQ liberation, their hard-fought battles, and how Los Angeles laid the groundwork for change.”
The Role Los Angeles Played
Through dozens of interviews, rare archival footage, and photos, L.A. A QUEER HISTORY reveals the critical role Los Angeles played in the battle for LGBTQ rights and the many LGBTQ firsts that happened in L.A., including the founding of the first PRIDE organization, the first gay magazine, and the largest demonstration in the U.S. protesting police brutality against the LGBTQ community.
Another pivotal Los Angeles first is the earliest documented use of the term Pride within the context of the gay community. A 1967 protest at the Black Cat against the Los Angeles police department’s brutality, routine harassment, and repeated raids of gay bars was organized by a gay activist group called Personal Rights in Defense and Education, also known as P.R.I.D.E.
A star-studded list of talent provides narration for the film, including Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, 30 Rock,) Rosario Dawson (Rent, Luke Cage,) Traci Thoms (Rent, 911,) and Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls, Looking.)
“The LGBTQ civil rights movement didn’t start at Stonewall; it started in Los Angeles,” said Davila. “There have been queer activists, artists, and innovators in L.A. since the turn of the 20th century and our community stands on their shoulders. L.A. deserves to take its rightful place in LGBTQ history and how it gave rise to the movement still fighting for change today.”
Ticket Information
Presale tickets are $15. After July 1 and at the door they are $20 and available online at https://tinyurl.com/yc3zanb7.
