Visionaries & Victories: Early Leaders in the LGBT Movement

This DVD contains two documentaries, which provide entertaining, in depth views of the growth of the early gay and lesbian movement. Each hour-long film focuses on three of our pioneers.

No Secret Anymore: The Times of Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon, by JEB (Joan E. Biren).

Confronting a society that considered them “illegal, immoral and sick,” Del and Phyllis trace the history of their organizing work for lesbian rights against the background of the 1950s and 60s. In 1955 they founded the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first public organization for lesbians in the U.S, and were partners for more than 50 years.

Hope along the Wind: The Life of Harry Hay, by Eric Slade.

This film follows, through interviews and archival film footage, his growth as an activist, communist, and founder of the Mattachine Society, one of the first gay organizations in the U.S. This “golden brotherhood” was organized along the lines of a socialist underground organization to protect its members. After the “Red Scare” propelled the organization to purge Harry and other
activists, he moved on to research “two spirit” people, joined the counter-culture youth movement of the 60s, and finally founded the Radical Fairies.

Together, these two videos provide a powerful testament to the early organizing efforts in our movement, and give the viewer a good sense of the political and social realities of the 1940s and 50s. Put this video in your library; it belongs in EVERY kind of library, for classroom use, personal growth, and public education. A Curriculum & Action Guide for the DVD is available at the Frameline web site.

Reviewed by, Morgan Gwenwald
SUNY New Paltz

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