Gay USA

Once upon a time, in the 1970s, there was a day when gay, lesbians, transsexuals, and other members of various sexual and gender persuasions marched in large cities across America. More than 25 camera operators recorded the parades and interviews with individuals, and then Arthur J. Bressan Jr. Edited it into this movie.

I'm dissatisfied with that paragraph. Language and terms about what was lumped together as "gay" in 1977 has greatly changed in the almost half century since this film appeared. I expect it will continue to change. This review will seem dated, perhaps quaint, both in how I express my thoughts, and indeed, those thoughts themselves. So the most that can be usefully said is that this captures a few moments in the evolution of sexuality throughout the ages, near the highwater mark of acceptance between the Stonewall Riots and the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

It's the gay pride parade in 1977 San Francisco. Gay rights is being fought in the streets as well in politics. The filmmakers do a lot of man-on-the-street interviews. They do go to NYC and switch between time periods. The flipping back and forth between the older demonstration and the '77 parade is quite powerful.

This is an important archive of this political movement. There are compelling personal testimony with the street interviews. The multitudes of opinions especially in the opening section reminds me so much of the present day arguments. Things may have changed, but many things are still the same.

10/11/17. Considering that this documentary was made close to 40 years ago (1978), in retrospect, can be considered quite radical for the time. The film-maker offered people participating and viewing the gay parades of 1977 the opportunity to voice their feelings and thoughts about being gay, homosexuality, gender roles, coming out, being in the closet, etc. It's worth keeping in mind that this was made BEFORE AIDS made its debut in 1982, and then everything changed. So, in a way, the late '70s was a period of innocence for those who were coming into their own and being able to share their lives in a very open and honest way. This is worth watching for its historical value in documenting a segment of society that continues to struggle for rights denied them because of their sexuality.

Filmed on June 26 1977 this follows a bunch of gay pride parades (primarily in NYC and San Francisco). A large bunch of individuals are interviewed asking if they're gay or str8 and what they think about gay rights and gay marriage. The insights into what people thought in 1977 are fascinating. This was done pre-AIDS so health issues are never bought up. Also I like that they let lesbians talk about their feelings on the subject. There's no narration so no judgmental dialogue to tell us what to think. The only real debit here is some truly dreadful musical interludes. The songs are pretty bad and stop the movie directly in its tracks. Still this is an important film that shows how the gay world has changed (and not changed) since 1977.

"Gay USA" is not so much an innovative film, as a passionate statement of pride in US citizens gaining same sex civil rights, in a time of social/ religious intolerance toward sexual difference. Even so, I concern that in 2020 other countries may not individuate their same sex culture, as North America now models this via an unassailable media.