Stonewall Uprising

I'm glad that this story has finally been made part of the mosaic that is the American Experience, but given its currency, the Stonewall events could have been brought into better perspective than was accomplished here.

Spending as much screen time with Lucian Truscott IV (who identifies as straight and is married to woman) as a spokesman for the gay perspective seemed a bit imbalanced. There are other living, gay identified, first hand eyewitnesses that might not be as telegenic, that might have given more perspective if they'd have been included.

Also, in my opinion, the episode should have spent less screen time dwelling on the schadenfreud of the 60s era psychology and more screen time on the events immediately before that June 1969 event and its aftermath.

Looking at this episode of "The American Experience", it's a bit shocking today. What I mean is that it's hard to believe life was that rough for gay Americans--especially for younger audiences watching the film. It wasn't just kids making fun of gay kids--but a systematic and harsh hatred of everything gay. You learn about the reaction of the psychiatric community to gay people--with electroshocks and hospitalizations in psychiatric facilities! To add insult to injury, the cops routinely beat up gay folks and incarcerated them. Now I had sympathy for the cops and politicians in some cases--sex in public restrooms is not good--whether you are gay or straight. But when homosexuals went into private clubs behind closed doors and STILL were beaten and arrested, there got to be a point where enough is enough--and this led to the famous Stonewall Uprising. Like the Black Power and hippie movements, the gays were sick of being harassed and were willing to fight back (literally) to get basic human rights.

Overall, this is an inspiring and well made documentary. And for any sane person, it is hard for anyone to justify violence and abuse--no matter what your opinions are. In that sense, this film is for everyone. Well worth seeing.

60s psychiatric response to homosexuality

I've been a fan of The American Experience since PBS introduced it in 1988 and forgive PBS completely for only airing it sporadically (6-8 episodes per season), since SUPERBLY researched and produced documentaries can't be ground out in a week. It's 2011 now, and over the course of 23 years, T.A.E is WELL on its way to creating a completely magnificent mosaic of what America is, where it's been, and where it's going. OK. In addition the being a history buff, I'm also a gay man, one who's been around long enough to have followed news flashes of Stonewall as it was happening, and to watch the SLOOOOOW, painful evolution of the treatment of My Kind by the news media and by Hollywood. And over the 23 years of T.A.E., I'd speculated: Would I live long enough to ever see gay America added to their POWERFUL mosaic...could we EVER progress to where OUR stories could stand astride the civil rights struggle, the various Great Wars, and all the other facets of our great national history? Short answer: YUP!! This doc is as powerful as any that T.A.E has ever done. Gay veterans of The Uprising are interviewed, THE COPS who made that ill-fated venture into Fagville on that violent night are interviewed (and a few are genuinely ashamed of their involvement, which moved me to tears - I FORGIVE YOU), and some painstaking recreations of the scenario (news crews were NOT there) have been SUPERBLY executed. Which simply means that this is a TYPICAL episode of The American Experience, except...THAT'S US UP THERE! WE are now part of The American Experience!! Can you tell that I'm weeping while typing? THANK YOU, PBS! I believe I can say it and FINALLY believe it to be true: WE HAVE ARRIVED.