Slow Burn Gays Against Briggs | Tribeca Festival Live Show
Jul 15, 2024
In a lively live taping at the Tribeca Festival, Eric Marcus, host of Making Gay History, and activist DeRay Mckesson join filmmaker Sam Feder and comedian Esther Fallick for a spirited discussion. They dive into pivotal moments in LGBTQ history, like the Briggs Initiative, and reflect on the complexities of visibility and activism today. Personal stories shine a light on challenges faced by the community, with humor woven throughout, culminating in a celebration of identity and the ongoing fight for rights and representation.
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Briggs Sparked Modern LGBTQ Organizing
- The Briggs Initiative was the first statewide vote on gay rights and forced unprecedented queer political organization.
- That mobilization helped create today's more politically sophisticated LGBTQ movement and set an organizing template.
Anita Bryant Prompted Personal Coming-Out
- Eric Marcus described how Anita Bryant's campaign pushed him to come out to his mother at 18.
- He recalls crawling up the stairs, being confronted, and later writing about the era from the vantage of that anger.
Unity Was Never Simple
- Generational and tactical divides have long existed within LGBTQ movements and are recurring, not unique to one era.
- Older closeted activists often feared younger visibility because it threatened livelihoods gained under secrecy.