{"id":24315,"date":"2021-09-16T14:26:25","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T21:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=24315"},"modified":"2023-11-09T12:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T20:30:01","slug":"telling-the-story-of-when-lgbtq-activists-fought-the-establishment-and-won","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/telling-the-story-of-when-lgbtq-activists-fought-the-establishment-and-won\/","title":{"rendered":"Telling the Story of When LGBTQ+ Activists Fought the Establishment and Won"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles-based <\/span>Bennett Singer<\/b> and the D.C.-based <\/span>Patrick Sammon<\/b> have been making widely acclaimed historical documentaries for many years. Sammon was creator and Executive Producer of Codebreaker,<\/i> a \u201csuperb\u201d (The Telegraph<\/i>) drama-documentary vividly exploring the life of gay British codebreaker Alan Turing. Singer’s co-directing credits include Electoral Dysfunction<\/i>, a \u201cfrightening and enlightening\u201d (WBEZ Radio) look at voting in America that aired on PBS and won the American Bar Association\u2019s Silver Gavel Award, and the GLAAD Media Award-winning Brother Outsider, <\/i>a \u201cpotent and persuasive\u201d (Los Angeles Times<\/i>) biography of the gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin that aired on PBS\u2019s POV<\/em>; he was also an associate producer on PBS’s Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning Eyes on the Prize<\/i> II <\/i>series. <\/span><\/p>\n

Together they’ve partnered to make the powerful, eye-opening film <\/span>Cured<\/i><\/b><\/a>. The documentary \u2014 which won the American Historical Association\u2019s John E. O\u2019Connor Award for best historical documentary of 2021 \u2014 looks into the not-so-distant past, when the psychiatric establishment considered homosexuality a mental illness to be \u201ccured\u201d via talk therapy or, in extreme cases, through treatments that included electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), castrations, hysterectomies, and lobotomies. But <\/span>Cured <\/span><\/i>is also the rousing story of how LGBTQ+ activists fought back\u2014and won. <\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

\u201cRiveting,” wrote <\/span>The Queer Review<\/span><\/i>, [it] “deserves its place alongside other seminal documentaries such as <\/span>How to Survive a Plague, The Celluloid Closet, Before Stonewall <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>The Times of Harvey Milk<\/span><\/i>.\u201d Adds the <\/span>Bay Area Reporter:<\/span><\/i> “Suspenseful and furnishing a slam-dunk case about the landmark importance of this event, <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> is probably the best LGBTQ documentary of the year.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Singer and Sammon talk to us about the making of Cured<\/i>, including how they found so many astonishing archival treasures; where the still-current topic of gay conversion therapy fits in; how they decided on the people who share their own stories on camera; and the poignant reason they had to hurry up to capture those interviews. They also give very powerful updates<\/a><\/strong> on some of the main characters featured in <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Patrick

Patrick Sammon, left, and Bennett Singer, Cured filmmakers<\/p><\/div>\n

On what led the filmmakers to want to make <\/b>Cured<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

We made this film because we are both passionate about LGBTQ equality, visibility, inclusion, and dignity. Our previous films about Alan Turing and Bayard Rustin illuminated the consequences of anti-gay bigotry, as well as the price that Turing and Rustin each paid for daring to be unapologetic and open about their homosexuality during a fiercely homophobic era.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cured<\/span><\/i> builds on our previous work by illuminating a little-known story from the past that has strong and powerful resonance for the present. This film spotlights a critical moment in LGBTQ history that many people do not know about, and provides valuable lessons that inform today\u2019s fight for social justice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> is indisputably about science, medicine, and politics, at its core this is a film about activism and the process of creating social change. It features a diverse group of crusaders \u2014 outsiders as well insiders\u2014with stubborn dedication and big personalities who came together at a crossroads in LGBTQ history. <\/span><\/p>\n

These unlikely heroes had a passion for justice and centered their strategy on the argument that psychiatrists\u2019 classification of homosexuality as a \u201csociopathic personality disturbance\u201d\u00a0 was based not on science but on prejudice. We were honored to meet and interview many of the key participants who put their bodies, careers, and reputations on the line in pursuit of this cause. <\/span><\/p>\n

On what kind of wider impact they hope <\/b>Cured<\/i><\/b> will have.<\/b><\/p>\n

We would like <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> to reach people who are completely unfamiliar with LGBTQ history and help them understand the significance of this moment, which transformed not only psychiatry and LGBTQ people\u2019s perceptions of themselves, but also the social fabric of American society and culture. <\/span><\/p>\n

We also hope the film reaches members of the LGBTQ community and provides them with an inside look at this pivotal historical moment and at the pioneers who achieved it, while underscoring how powerful it can be when LGBTQ activists and their allies come together to stand up for justice. Beyond that, we hope the film reaches activists who are fighting for social change in a variety of movements, since the strategies and tactics in<\/span> Cured <\/span><\/i>can serve as a blueprint for social change efforts across movements and communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

While ECT and lobotomies are no longer used to \u201ccure\u201d gay people, efforts to change sexual orientation and gender identity continue at alarming rates through the use of so-called \u201cconversion therapy.\u201d Although this practice has been discredited by the American Psychiatric Association [APA] and every other mainstream medical organization, it remains legal for minors in a majority of states.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given that the [PBS premiere] is happening on <\/span>National Coming Out Day<\/b>, the film can spark conversations among families and in workplaces about the ongoing importance of coming out and living one\u2019s authentic self, as well as an understanding that coming out to family members, friends, and colleagues represents a powerful form of activism for LGBTQ people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rev.

Rev. Magora Kennedy in Cured<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In addition, October 10 is <\/span>World Mental Health Day<\/b>, so there is an opportunity for open, honest conversations about the fact that pathologizing sexual orientation or gender identity does not create healthy people; it destroys the mental health of entire communities<\/span>.<\/span> It\u2019s also crucial to remember that despite major progress, LGBTQ people continue to face ongoing mental health disparities \u2014 including disproportionate rates of suicidality and homelessness among LGBTQ youth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> can be inspiring to young people, allies, and viewers with an interest in history because of the universality of a story in which a small band of people joined forces to challenge a seemingly unbeatable foe\u2014and won.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the challenges of a multi-character story and other obstacles encountered along the way in making <\/b>Cured<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Unlike our previous films, which focused on one main subject, <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> has ten main characters who played central roles in the story. The victory depicted in the film was achieved because of the efforts of many people, not just one or two leaders. So, we needed to find a way to tell a cohesive story that made sense, while also featuring the voices of many different participants. It was a delicate balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since this is a historical film, it\u2019s likely that viewers are aware of the outcome of the story before they even begin watching the film. However, the activists who participated in this fight had no idea if their efforts would lead to a change in the APA \u2014 and they didn\u2019t know what the timeline would look like. We wanted to convey that sense of suspense, so audience members could understand victory was by no means inevitable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We were thrilled when one reviewer compared the film to a courtroom drama. Major credit for creating that sense of tension and suspense goes to our editor, Steve Heffner. At every step of the process, he encouraged us to focus on the human and emotional elements of the story and to find ways to remind viewers that the storytellers in the film were taking profound risks when they decided to challenge the APA. <\/span><\/p>\n

After a long and valiant battle with cancer, Steve died in May, at the age of 53. We feel very grateful to have collaborated with him on <\/span>Cured<\/span><\/i> and can say without hesitation that the film benefited enormously from his talent and passion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are also grateful to our two tenacious archival producers, Mridu Chandra and Lewanne Jones, for uncovering a treasure trove of documents, photos, newspaper articles, audio recordings, and film footage to help us tell this story.\u00a0<\/span>Much of this material has not been seen for 50 years, and it provides an invaluable complement to our present-day interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

On gaining the trust of the subjects to tell their often-painful stories.<\/b><\/p>\n

Early in the research process, we reached out to our subjects and had in-depth conversations with them to learn about their involvement in this story and to share our vision for the film. Almost to a person, they were thrilled to participate in the film because we were spotlighting a moment whose importance they understood even as most people didn\u2019t know anything about these pivotal events. <\/span><\/p>\n

They came to trust us because we showed them how committed we were to produce a compelling film that was historically accurate and was propelled by the first-person testimony of those who were involved in this fight.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Activists

Activists Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny with “Dr. H. Anonymous” at a panel held during the 1972 APA annual meeting in Dallas.<\/p><\/div>\n

On things they had to cut out of the final film.<\/b><\/p>\n

In addition to the PBS cut of the film, which is 52 minutes long, we\u2019ve created an 80-minute feature-length version\u00a0 of the film. The longer cut includes an excerpt from <\/span>Dr. John Fryer<\/b>\u2019s journal, written on his flight back to Philadelphia after making his famous speech as \u201cDr. Anonymous\u201d at the 1972 APA annual meeting in Dallas. It is quite moving, as he discusses his status as the only gay psychiatrist in the United States who has openly discussed his sexual orientation in front of his peers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Fryer writes, \u201cThe day has passed \u2014 it has come and gone, and I am still alive. For the first time, I have identified with a force which is akin to my selfhood\u2026 I hope that the effort does not die.\u201d We had to remove this clip from the 52-minute version due to time limitations, but it\u2019s such a powerful statement about the sense of liberation and self-discovery that result from coming out\u2014even when that is done in disguise!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the longer version contains clips from a 1973 <\/span>60 Minutes <\/span><\/i>segment about this fight. Dr. Charles Silverstein describes how he came out to his mother on the very same day that <\/span>60 Minutes<\/span><\/i> was going to interview him about being a gay psychologist. It\u2019s a wonderful anecdote we had to cut from the PBS version. In this section, we also witness footage of Dr. Silverstein working with a gay patient and discussing how coming out affected the client\u2019s relationship with his parents. <\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a great reminder that Dr. Silverstein and the other protagonists in this story were not arguing that gay people should cut all ties with therapists \u2014 but rather were seeking to redefine the relationship between mental health professionals and LGBTQ people.<\/span><\/p>\n