American docuseries
Equal
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Genre
| Docuseries
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Directed by
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Starring
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Country of origin
| United States
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Original language
| English
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Executive producers
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Producers
|
- Diane Becker
- Melanie Miller
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Running time
| 60 minutes
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Production companies
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Network
| HBO Max
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Release
| October 22, 2020
(
2020-10-22
)
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Equal
is an American documentary television series produced by
Scout Productions
,
Berlanti Productions
, Raintree Ventures,
That's Wonderful Productions
, and
Warner Horizon Unscripted Television
. The four-part series chronicles landmark events and leaders in
LGBTQ history
, and consists of a mixture of archival footage and scripted reenactments.
Equal
stars several actors including
Samira Wiley
,
Jamie Clayton
, and
Anthony Rapp
. The series premiered on
HBO Max
on October 22, 2020.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
Plot
[
edit
]
Episode 1
[
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]
This episode explores the rise of the
Mattachine Society
and the
Daughters of Bilitis
.
Dale Jennings
and
Harry Hay
were both married to women before they founded the Mattachine Society. Dale has twice married women.
Kinsey Reports
on sexual behavior among men is first published in 1948. This is widely discussed among gay men at the time due to its conclusion of high numbers having had a homosexual experience.
Del Martin was married and divorced from a man before going on to become an activist with the
Daughters of Bilitis
.
In the 1950s, gay people were prohibited from working for the US government because of
Executive Order 10450
; this loss of employment became known as the
Lavender scare
.
ONE magazine
was first published in 1953. Mattachine Society members sought to outlaw
entrapment
.
The Ladder (magazine)
was first published in 1956. In the 1950s, Ernestine Eckstein says, "The negro cause is widely accepted. The homosexual cause is not yet accepted." Gays and lesbians were seen as "immoral" and "sick." The
Council on Religion and the Homosexual
was set up in the 1960s to win religious support for the civil rights of gay people;
Evander Smith
and
Herb Donaldson (lawyer)
were its leaders.
Episode 2
[
edit
]
This episode focuses on the 20th-century transgender movement, including the
1966 Compton Cafeteria riots
in
Tenderloin, San Francisco
. Even earlier, masquerade laws were used to arrest trans men and women.
[5]
The FBI goes after
Lucy Hicks Anderson
because she was receiving the
extra pay allotment
as the married wife of her husband Reuben Anderson. She faced a "federal fraud case" since the authorities didn't accept her female gender. Both she and her husband were given prison time as a result, but remained together afterward.
In the early 20th century, trans man Jack Starr lives a rough, wild life working as a bootlegger and bartender. He was more than once arrested for traveling on public roads in a male "disguise" according to authorities. Starr's story is also the least documented-his ultimate fate remains a mystery.
Christine Jorgensen
's very public transition is recounted, with real footage of her from the 1950s after she underwent a sex reassignment operation in Scandinavia. Multiple films and books are written about this, while she struggles greatly with being in the spotlight, as her life is delved into. Nonetheless, she speaks of her life and experience in good humor.
Trans women, after frequent police harassment, fight back in the
Compton's Cafeteria riot
. After they were not permitted back into the cafeteria, LGBT+ people picket the establishment before a second riot erupts. Following this, the government of San Francisco allows transgender people to address people publicly, showcasing their humanity and asking for tolerance, with this sparking the movement for trans rights continuing into contemporary times.
Episode 3
[
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]
This episode highlights contributions from the Black community to the growing
LGBTQ civil rights movement
.
David Susskind
praises
Lorraine Hansberry
's
A Raisin in the Sun
on his television show. Hansberry and her husband become active in
Greenwich Village
. Though openly a lesbian, Hansberry was part of lesbian groups privately, saw women and advocated gay rights under a pseudonym. She publicly supported Marxism and black liberation also.
Bayard Rustin
, a civil rights leader, was very unusual in being openly gay. His conviction for having sex with other men made him perceived as a liability to the civil rights movement. As a result, he was banished temporarily, with the segregationist US Senator
Strom Thurmond
seeking to use Rustin against them. Nonetheless, Rustin was a key organizer of major civil rights efforts, including the
March on Washington
, where he spoke publicly for the effort.
Jose Sarria
performed at the
Black Cat Bar
in San Francisco, California. In 1961, Sarria becomes the first gay person to run for
public office
.
In Los Angeles, police arrest hundreds of gay people at the
Black Cat Tavern
in 1967.
Episode 4
[
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]
This episode tackles the
Stonewall Riots
and the beginning of the
Pride movement
."
[3]
Craig Rodwell
does janitorial work on
Fire Island
. Later, he opens up a book shop on
Mercer Street (Manhattan)
.
Marsha P. Johnson
became known as "the mayor of
Christopher Street
" in the 1960s. Billy Porter says that the
Genovese crime family
opened up the
Stonewall Inn
; in the 1960s, it was illegal to serve liquor to gay and trans people in public bars in New York City.
The
Gay Liberation Front
(GLF) is founded in June 1969 after the Stonewall Riots. While the Gay Liberation Front sought to form a coalition with racial and feminist groups, the
Gay Activists Alliance
(GAA) focused more on gay rights.
Gay activists in 1969 sought end of police arrests for same-sex
public displays of affection
(PDA). They also clamored for an end to firings and employment reprisals for being gay. In 1973,
Sylvia Rivera
gives a speech saying, "I have been thrown in jail. I have lost my job. I have lost my apartment for gay liberation."
[6]
Cast and characters
[
edit
]
Episode 1
[8]
Episode 2
[8]
Episode 3
[8]
Episode 4
[8]
Production
[
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]
Development
[
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]
On October 16, 2019, it was announced that
HBO Max
had commissioned an LGBTQ+ historical docuseries consisting of four hour-long episodes from
Warner Horizon Unscripted Television
.
[10]
It is the first production from the company's documentary series unit.
[4]
The show's executive producers are
David Collins
, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, and Joel Chiodi (
Scout Productions
);
Greg Berlanti
and
Sarah Schechter
(
Berlanti Productions
);
Jim Parsons
and Todd Spiewak (That's Wonderful Productions);
Jon Jashni
(Raintree Ventures); and
Mike Darnell
and Brooke Karzen (Warner Horizon Unscripted Television).
[10]
Diane Becker and Melanie Miller are also producers.
[8]
The series premiered on October 22, 2020, in observance of
LGBT History Month
.
[2]
[3]
Crew
[
edit
]
Equal
's showrunner is
Stephen Kijak
, who also directs episodes one, three and four.
[1]
Kimberly Reed
directs episode two.
[1]
Casting
[
edit
]
On August 25, 2020, the casting of Samira Wiley, Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, Sara Gilbert, Alexandra Grey, Shannon Purser, Heather Matarazzo, Jamie Clayton, Isis King, and Gale Harold was announced.
[1]
Reception
[
edit
]
The show received positive critical reception. It holds a 83% on review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
.
[11]
Inkoo Kang wrote for
The Hollywood Reporter
, "In celebrating a movement whose foremothers and forefathers’ names have yet to enter the common lexicon,
Equal
is a valuable if glossy resource."
[7]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Petski, Denise (2020-08-25).
"
'Equal': Samira Wiley, Anthony Rapp, Cheyenne Jackson Among Cast For HBO Max's LGBTQ+ Docuseries"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
.
- ^
a
b
"See LGBTQ+ Icons Reincarnated In HBO Max's New Series 'Equal'
"
.
www.out.com
. 2020-08-25
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
.
- ^
a
b
c
Rudolph, Christopher.
"Out Celebs Transform Into Queer Pioneers for HBO Max's "Equal"
"
.
www.newnownext.com
. Retrieved
1 September
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (2019-10-16).
"HBO Max Picks Up LGBTQ+ Docuseries 'Equal' From Greg Berlanti, Jim Parsons & New Warner Horizon Docu Unit"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
.
- ^
HBO Max's 'Equal': What were 'Masquerade Law' and 'Three-Article Rule' used by cops to persecute trans community?
- ^
A Forgotten Latina Trailblazer: LGBT Activist Sylvia Rivera
- ^
a
b
Kang, Inkoo (22 October 2020).
"
'Equal': TV Review"
.
THR
. Retrieved
21 December
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Gilchrist, Tracy E. (2020-08-24).
"See Cheyenne Jackson, Samira Wiley as LGBTQ+ Icons in HBO Max's EQUAL"
.
www.advocate.com
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
.
- ^
Here's What We Know About the LGBTQ+ Figure Jack Starr Featured on Equal
- ^
a
b
Otterson, Joe (2019-10-16).
"HBO Max Orders LGBTQ Movement Docuseries From Scout Productions, Jim Parsons, Greg Berlanti"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
.
- ^
"Season 1 Equal Critics"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
. Retrieved
21 December
2020
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Current
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Upcoming
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Ended
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Films
| Released
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Upcoming
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Unreleased
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See also
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