6/2/2023 0 Comments When we wriseSince it is on network television, the series can change hearts and minds for red-state viewers - the "other America" - in a critical period of U.S. That means showing up to help our brothers and sisters in other social justice movements without asking for anything in return."īut in When We Rise, there are lessons for more than LGBT folks. We have to remember that the 'we' is where we come from, and certainly the 'we' - those collaborations we make, in the family we build with other social justice movements - is what will make us strong enough to beat back this backlash and to move forward again. "It is the biggest word in the title for a reason, by design. "It is really criticial, at this moment and at this time, to remember what the 'we' in When We Rise means," Black said. There is strength in togetherness, said Black, and it will take the skills and the empathy of all to protect the most vulnerable. This intersectionality is a lesson members of all vulnerable communities should remember today, as rights across the board become under attack during a Trump administration. "We wanted When We Rise not to just be about how we come together, and we come from other social justice movements, but to make sure that the last two hours include stories of how we should give back - given the lessons we've learned and the gains we've made." "I cannot believe that four years ago, we decided this is where we wanted the series to go," said Black about the finale's subject matter. The overarching message, culminating here and built over the course of the series, is the interconnectedness of different fights and movements, said Black. Ken Jones fights to make the religious community a more inclusive place for LGBT people. Roma Guy, drawing on her lessons from the women's movement, advocates to bring health care to all of San Francisco's residents, including immigrants. Interspersed with the marches and the courtroom drama, however, are stories that will resonate with the present-day United States today. There's also the clash between LGBT activists and organizations -the old guard and the new, bridged by Cleve Jones - about how marriage ought to be won and when. Perry, which was banned from broadcasting. But the finale also portrays behind-the-scenes moments not captured by cameras, such as the district court trial of Hollingsworth v. Lady Gaga, screaming "Are you listening, Obama?" at the March on Washington, and plaintiff Edie Windsor, whose separate Supreme Court case effectively gutted the Defense of Marriage Act, appear in clips to underscore, as Black previously stated, that these events actually occurred, despite attacks from alt-right trolls who claimed otherwise. plantiffs, Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo, play themselves in the fight to defeat the voter-approved amendment to ban same-sex marriage in California.Īrchival footage is put to effective use here. But there's also stars of the LGBT movement the real Prop 8. Knight portrays activist Chad Griffin and Debra Winger wears the robes of Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. In addition to performances from Phylicia Rashad and Rob Reiner, T.R. These episodes, directed by Black, have a lot of star power. This chapter shows how activists fought for and won marriage equality in the United States, beginning with the passage of Proposition 8, which sparked a new generation of advocates, and the legal fight leading up to the Supreme Court to defeat it. The two-part finale could function as a standalone entry for new viewers to the drama - much of it is also a familiar story for them. To this end, The Advocate discussed each episode with Black, asking the gay director and writer what LGBT viewers - and Americans more broadly - should take away from each "epic confrontation" that has taken place since a trans woman threw the first brick at the Stonewall Inn in 1969.
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