All language subtitles for Jeffrey Schwarz - Vito (2011)

( Music playing )

HELLO, IF YOU'VE JUST
JOINED US, I'M VITO RUSSO.

GOOD EVENING, I'M VITO RUSSO.

I'M VITO RUSSO.

I'M VITO RUSSO.

VITO WAS FIRST
AND FOREMOST AN ACTIVIST.

THE GAY PEOPLE IN MIDDLE AMERICA
ARE CERTAINLY READY FOR IT,

AND IF THE STRAIGHT
PEOPLE AREN'T,

THEN THEY SHOULD GET TO KNOW
WHO THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE.

IF YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE GAY RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT VITO.

Crowd: GAY RIGHTS RIGHT NOW!
GAY RIGHTS RIGHT NOW!

Russo". WHEN I GOT INVOLVED
IN THE GAY MOVEMENT,

I WAS FIGHTING FOR THE GENERATIONS
THAT ARE GONNA COME AFTER ME.

SO THAT YOUNG GAY PEOPLE
WHO ARE 14 AND 15

WON'T HAVE TO GROW UP
THE WAY WE DID.

THESE PEOPLE ARE DEBATING WHETHER
OR NOT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE

AND YOU'RE NOT PART
OF THE DISCUSSION.

Larry Kramer:
VITO GOT VERY ANGRY,

BUT HE HAD THIS
SPECIAL GIFT

OF BEING ABLE TO BE ANGRY
AND YOU STILL LOVING HIM.

JUST FOR A MINUTE OR SO. WE'D LIKE
TO TAKE YOU BACK EXACTLY 6O YEARS

TO WHAT MAY BE THE
FIRST GAY CHARACTER

IN AN AMERICAN MOTION PICTURE.

Bruce Vilanch: HE WAS THE
FIRST PERSON TO WRITE ABOUT

HOW HOLLYWOOD
TREATED HOMOSEXUALS.

I HAVE LOVED YOU
THE WAY THEY SAID!

Russo". NOW IT'S NOT
SUCH A SHOCKING THING

TO SEE GAY PEOPLE
ON THE SCREEN.

BUT, YOU KNOW,
THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK

ARE GONNA TAKE 1O YEARS,
TAKE 100 YEARS.

( Chanting ) WHERE WAS THE FDA?!
40,000 DEAD FROM AIDS!

Dr. Joseph Brewer: VITO HAD A BIG IMPACT
ON HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT, HANDLED,

AND DEALT WITH THE EPIDEMIC.

I'D LIKE TO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN THIS COMMUNITY ANGRY.

THE REST OF THIS SHOW
MAY HELP YOU TO GET ANGRY.

- Howard Rosenman: lN THE MIDDLE
OF THE RIVER, - ( crowd chanting )

HE WENT AND HE CHANGED
THE CURRENT.

YOU KNOW HARD IT
IS TO DO THAT?

Russo". IT'S REAL
IMPORTANT THAT RIGHT NOW,

WHETHER I LIVE OR WHETHER
I DIE, THAT I FIGHT.

HE TOOK A STAND.
HE IS OUR GAY HERO.

( Crowd cheering )

Russo". EVERYTHING I'VE
DONE, I'VE CHOSEN TO DO.

THIS IS THE LIFE I WANTED.

I'M ONE OF THE VERY FEW PEOPLE
I KNOW WHO CAN SAY

I NEVER DID ANYTHING
I DIDN'T WANT TO DO

AND I ALWAYS DID EXACTLY
WHAT I PLEASED.

VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN SAY
THAT ABOUT THEIR LIVES.

SO I'M A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS
IN THOSE TERMS.

I MEAN, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH
THE WAY I'VE CHOSEN TO LIVE.

I'VE MADE THE LIFE I WANTED,

AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD EVERYTHING
I WANTED OUT OF IT.

Charles Russo:
WE GREW UP IN EAST HARLEM

ON 120th STREET
IN THE '50s.

VITO WASN'T ACTIVE IN WHAT
EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING.

STICKBALL, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL.

YOU KNOW, PLAYING CARDS
ON THE STOOP.

HE WASN'T ACTIVE IN THAT.

Phyllis Antonellis:
HE WAS JUST OUT OF PLACE.

I THINK HE KNEW
AT A VERY EARLY AGE

THAT HIS INTERESTS
WERE DIFFERENT.

HE KNEW HE DIDN'T
WANT TO BE ONE OF THE BOYS.

- ( Chattering ) - GETTING TO THE
MOVIES, THAT WAS HIS PASSION.

VITO WOULD BEG
TO GO ON DATES WITH ME

BECAUSE WE WOULD
ULTIMATELY GO TO A MOVIE.

AND WHEN WE RETURNED
FROM THE MOVIE,

HE WOULD TELL EVERYONE
IN THE HOUSE

THE ENTIRE MOVIE.

MY MOTHER WOULD SAY
WHEN HE LEFT,

"I FELT LIKE I
SAW THAT MOVIE."

I WAS UNAWARE
OF HOMOSEXUALITY.

I DID NOT EVEN KNOW
WHAT IT WAS.

BUT I KNEW EVEN WHEN
HE WOULD LOOK

AT MY MOVIE MAGAZINES

THAT HE TENDED TO SAY,
"ROCK HUDSON"

INSTEAD OF
"AVA GARDNER."

Charles: VITO WAS ALWAYS
BEING TEASED AND ABUSED

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PLAY SPORTS.

HE WASN'T ROUGH AND TOUGH
AND A FIGHTER

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE THREE NAMES
AT THAT TIME WERE

HOMO, FAG, AND QUEER.

THAT'S WHAT YOU
HAD TO NAVIGATE.

THAT'S WHAT VITO
HAD TO NAVIGATE.

Russo".
IN TERMS OF KNOWING I WAS GAY,

I THINK THAT THAT HAPPENED
VERY EARLY.

BY THE TIME
I WAS 10 OR 11,

I MEAN I WAS A FAGGOT.

YOU KNOW, I WAS QUEER.

I ALWAYS HAD THIS INSTINCT
OF KNOWING THAT I WAS GAY.

AND WHEN I BECAME, LIKE,
12 OR 13 YEARS OLD,

I LEARNED HOW TO LEAVE
THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

WHICH NOBODY ELSE
IN MY FAMILY

OR ANYBODY I KNEW DID.

I LEARNED HOW TO USE
THE SUBWAYS.

I WENT TO MATINEES.

I SAW "THE ROSE TATTOO”
WITH MAUREEN STAPLETON.

I WENT ALL OVER
THE CITY BY MYSELF.

AND WHEN I COULDN'T AFFORD IT,
I WOULD PUT ON ROLLER SKATES

AND I WOULD HOLD ON
TO THE BACK OF A BUS.

lT WAS ALWAYS
LIKE A GREAT,

LUXURIOUS SENSE
OF FREEDOM

OF BEING ON MY OWN.

Michael Schiavi: ONE OF
HIS FAVORITE PLACES TO GO

WAS THE MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY.

AND CENTRAL PARK WEST

IN THE '50s AND '60s WAS
THIS HUGE CRUISING GROUND.

LITERALLY ONE LONG BENCH

FOR 50 BLOCKS
OF GAY GUYS

WHO WERE JUST INTERESTED
IN FINDING EACH OTHER.

VITO WENT THERE A LOT
BY THE TIME HE WAS ABOUT 14.

HE STARTED EXPERIMENTING
WITH BOYS

AND NEVER REALLY SUFFERED
ANY GUILT ABOUT THAT,

ALTHOUGH HE WAS BEING TOLD
CERTAINLY BY THE CHURCH AT LEAST

THAT THIS VVAS AN ABSOLUTELY
DISGUSTING THING TO BE AND TO DO.

VITO WOULD
GO TO CONFESSION

AND TALK ABOUT THESE EXPERIENCES
THAT HE VVAS HAVING WITH OTHER BOYS.

AND FINALLY THE PRIEST
SAID TO HIM,

FROM YOU EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

IF YOU COME BACK AND TELL ME THIS AGAIN,
I'M NOT GONNA GIVE YOU ABSOLUTION."

Russo".
I NEVER BOUGHT IT,

NOT FOR ONE SINGLE,
SOLITARY SECOND.

I DON'T KNOW HOW
I ESCAPED IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS DIFFERENT
ABOUT THE WAY I WAS RAISED

OR THE WAY I REACTED,

BUT I NEVER ONCE,
NOT FOR A SECOND,

BELIEVED THAT IT
WAS WRONG TO BE GAY,

THAT IT WAS A SIN,

THAT HOMOSEXUALITY
WAS EVIL.

I ALWAYS KNEW
THEY WERE FULL OF SHIT

AND THAT I WAS RIGHT

AND THAT THERE WAS
NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS.

'CAUSE SOMETHING THIS NATURAL,
COULDN'T BE WRONG.

( Bicycle bell rings )

Charles: WE MOVED TO LODI,
NEW JERSEY, DECEMBER OF '61.

VITO WAS NOT HAPPY
WITH THE MOVE.

VITO HATED BEING
IN NEW JERSEY.

Schiavi: VITO HA TED IT
FROM THE MOMENT HE WENT.

LODI! HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE PRACTICALLY EVERY
HIGH SCHOOL IN AMERICA THEN AND NOW,

IS A JOCK BASTION.

SO IF YOU WERE A SKINNY,
SMART, EFFEMINATE BOY,

LIKE VITO WAS,
YOU TOOK ABUSE.

VITO DISCOVERED
A GROUP OF BOYS

AT LODI HIGH SCHOOL
WHO WERE ALSO GAY.

Russo".
THERE WERE FOUR OF US.

WE FORMED A LITTLE
BAND OF PEOPLE

WHO WERE DEFINITELY GAY.

WE WERE LIKE SORT
OF BEST FRIENDS

'CAUSE WE COULD BE HONEST
WITH EACH OTHER

AND HAD CRUSHES ON BOYS AT
SCHOOL WHO WERE STRAIGHT.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD NEVER
TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS BEFORE.

Schiavi: BY THE TIME HE
WAS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR,

HE HAD HAD
A FAKE l.D. MADE

AND HE WAS BEGINNING
TO CONNECT WITH DRAG QUEENS

WHO WERE IN
NEIGHBORING TOWNS.

Russo". THIS WAS MY SENIOR
YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.

BY COMPLETE ACCIDENT,

I HAD STUMBLED
UPON A FRIEND

WHO INVITED ME
TO A NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY,

AND HE KNEW ONLY
DRAG QUEENS AND DYKES,

WHO WERE ALL OUTRAGEOUS.

THESE WERE THE KIND OF GUYS WHO WORE
MAKEUP EVEN WHEN THEY WEREN'T IN DRAG.

I HAD THE NERVE
TO BRING THEM HOME

AND INTRODUCE THEM
TO MY PARENTS.

AND THAT'S HOW I REALLY,
REALLY MET

PEOPLE IN GAY LIFE.

THEY BECAME, LIKE, MY MAIN
GROUP OF GAY FRIENDS.

Antonellis: OF COURSE
HE LEFT NEW JERSEY

AS SOON AS HE COULD.

HE SAID THAT WHEN HE TURNED 18,
HE WAS LEAVING, WHICH HE DID.

Arnie Kantrowitz: NEW YORK WAS
THE PLACE WHERE THINGS MATTERED.

lF SOMETHING HAPPENS
IN NEW YORK, THEN IT HAPPENS.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN LODI,
NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT.

HE WANTED TO BE
WHERE THE ACTION WAS,

AND HE WANTED TO BE WHERE THERE
WAS A LARGE GAY POPULATION

AND WHERE THERE WERE
A LOT OF FILM LOVERS.

SO NEW YORK WAS LIKE A PERFECT
PLACE FOR HIM TO BE.

( Music playing )

Schiavi: WHEN VITO WAS LIVING
IN THE VILLAGE AND IN COLLEGE

SURROUNDED BY GAY MEN,

HE WAS ATTRACTED
TO THESE GUYS.

HE WAS OFTEN HAVING SEX
WITH THEM,

BUT NOBODY WOULD
TALK ABOUT IT.

THEY WOULD GET TOGETHER,
HAVE THIS SEXUAL ENCOUNTER,

AND THEN
WERE ASHAMED OF THAT,

AND PEOPLE WOULD JUST
SORT OF DEPART.

VITO WAS BEGINNING
TO GET A SENSE

THAT THIS WAS WRONG.

Russo". I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN I
WAS A MINORITY PROBLEMS CLASS,

I SUGGESTED TO THE TEACHER
THAT WE DISCUSS HOMOSEXUALS.

AND HE SAID,
"WELL, THAT'S A MINORITY GROUP.

MR. RUSSO, WHY DO YOU THINK
WE SHOULD DISCUSS THEM?"

I TOOK A BREATH AND I SAID,
"BECAUSE I KNOW SOME."

AND IT MADE ME FEEL
SO ROTTEN

AND SO SAD INSIDE ME

THAT I COULDN'T EVEN
STAND UP AND BE A PERSON

AND SAY THIS
IS WHAT I AM.

AND I PROMISED MYSELF
I WOULD NEVER DO THAT AGAIN

'CAUSE IT MADE ME
FEEL SO AWFUL.

Gabriel Rotello: AT THE TIME
THAT VITO WAS IN NEW YORK,

NOBODY WAS OPENLY GAY.

THE STRAIGHT WORLD WANTED
HOMOSEXUALITY TO GO AWAY.

Lou Maletta:
OPENLY GAY AS FAR AS BEING

OPENLY GAY IN GENERAL?

IMPOSSIBLE.
THERE WERE TOO MANY

STIGMAS ATTACHED WITH IT.

Announcer: A CBS
NEWS SURVEY SHOWS

THAT MOST AMERICANS
ARE REPELLED

BY THE MERE NOTION
OF HOMOSEXUALITY.

Kantrowitz:
THERE'S ONE STORY THAT WHEN

VITO WAS WORKING
AT MAMA'S CHICKEN AND RIB,

HE KISSED A
FRIEND GOOD-BYE,

AND HE LOST HIS JOB
FOR DOING THAT.

SO EVEN IN
GREENWICH VILLAGE,

IT STILL WASN'T SAFE
TO ACT GAY.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca:
PSYCHOLOGISTS, SHRINKS,

ALL THE MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS,

CONSIDERED HOMOSEXUALITY
A DISEASE.

Man: HOMOSEXUALITY IS IN
FACT A MENTAL ILLNESS

WHICH HAS REACHED
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROPORTIONS.

Hal Offen: THE TENOR OF THE
DAY WAS THAT WE WERE SINNERS.

WE WERE CRIMINALS.

( radio chatter )

Arthur Evans: RAIDS ON GAY
BARS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME,

AND PEOPLE WOULD GET BEATEN UP
AND CARRIED AWAY

AND THEIR LIVES WOULD BE RUINED
AND THEY'D BE HUMILIATED.

THEY WOULD NOT FIGHT BACK
AND THAT WAS THE END OF IT.

Reverend Malcolm Boyd: I OFTEN HAD
LUNCH WITH SOMEONE WHO WAS ARRESTED

ON A GAY CHARGE
OF SOME KIND,

AND HE HANGED HIMSELF
IN THE JAIL CELL.

ONE PUT A GUN IN HIS MOUTH
AND SHOT HIS HEAD OFF.

SO YOU HAD TO ABSORB
THAT INFORMATION.

AND SO WE WENT UNDERGROUND

LOOKING FOR SEX AND LOVE.

Schiavi: THE FIRST TIME THAT VITO
WENT TO THE BATHHOUSES IN NEW YORK

WAS GOING TO THE
ST. MARKS BATHS

WHEN HE WAS A
COLLEGE SOPHOMORE,

IN LIKE 1965.

VITO WITNESSED RAIDS.

POLICE WOULD COME
THROUGH THE HALLWAYS

SWEEPING UP DOZENS
OF GUYS

AND HAULING THEM
OFF TO JAIL.

AND IN FACT ON ONE OF THOSE
EARLY VISITS TO THE ST. MARKS,

HE WAS ARRESTED
IN A MASS RAID

AND TAKEN OFF TO JAIL
WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER GUYS.

THIS WAS KIND OF
THE ATMOSPHERE

WHERE VITO, AS A YOUNG MAN
AT 20 YEARS OLD,

WAS COMING OUT.

Kantrowitz:
HE RESENTED IT.

EVEN WELL BEFORE THE MOVEMENT,
HE SAW THE FLAW IN ALL OF THIS.

Russo". IN THE LATE '60s. I WOULD
RANT AND RAVE AND COMPLAIN

AND PISS ABOUT THE WAY
GAY PEOPLE

WERE TREATED IN SOCIETY.

THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY
EXORBITANT PRICES

FOR WATERED-DOWN DRINKS
IN VICE-COP RIDDEN BARS.

AND BE ARRESTED AND SUFFER
THROUGH RAIDS AND EXPOSURE.

THAT AS FAR AS THEY WERE
CONCERNED, THIS WAS THEIR LOT.

I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT,
YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, "WHEN DO YOU PEOPLE
GET ANGRY?" WAS MY ATTITUDE.

AND THEN STONEWALL HAPPENED.

( Window breaking )

Evans: THE POLICE RAIDED
THE BAR LA TE AT NIGHT.

THE PATRONS,
UNEXPECTEDLY TO EVERYONE,

DECIDED TO FIGHT BACK.

Offen:
IT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.

THERE WAS THIS
COMMUNITY RESPONSE,

"WE'RE NOT GONNA
TAKE IT ANYMORE."

Crowd:
GAY POWER!

Mm Fouratt: THE STONEWALL SPARKED
SOMETHING AND IT ALLOWED TO BE RELEASED

ALL OF THAT REPRESSED
FEELING OF ANGER

AND HOPE AND DESIRE

THAT IT COULD BE
A DIFFERENT WORLD.

Reporter. COULD YOU TELL US
WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?

Man: YEAH, IT WAS A
SPONTANEOUS UPRISING

BY HOMOSEXUAL
OPPRESSED PEOPLES

IN RETALIATION TO POLICE BRUTALITY
IN THE CHRISTOPHER STREET AREA.

Russo". WHEN STONEWALL
HAPPENED, I WITNESSED IT,

BUT I DIDN'T
TAKE PART IN IT.

I REMEMBER SITTING
IN A TREE IN THE PARK

AND WATCHING
ALL THIS GOING ON.

IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
BUT SCARE ME.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT THESE
WERE A BUNCH OF CRAZY QUEENS

AND THAT THEY WERE GONNA GET US
ALL INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE

AND THAT THEY
SHOULD GO HOME.

NONE OF THIS STRUCK ME
IN ANY WAY AS POLITICAL.

IT WASN'T UNTIL
THEY RAIDED A BAR

THAT I USED TO GO TO
CALLED THE SNAKE PIT

WHICH WAS AN AFTER-HOURS BAR
ON 10th STREET.

( Sirens wailing )

Kantrowitz:
THE POLICE RAIDED IT ONE NIGHT

AND ARRESTED SOMETHING
LIKE 180 PEOPLE

AND TOOK THEM TO THEIR
PRECINCT HOUSE.

A YOUNG MAN NAMED
DIEGO VINALES,

WHO WAS AN
ARGENTINE NATIONAL,

AND WAS AFRAID
OF LOSING HIS VISA,

TRIED TO ESCAPE BY JUMPING
FROM A WINDOW TO A SAFE PLACE

BUT INSTEAD FELL AND LANDED
ON A SPIKED FENCE.

Russo". IT WAS VERY VIOLENT
AND VERY FRIGHTENING.

HE WAS CRITICAL
FOR, LIKE, THREE WEEKS,

AND THERE BEGAN TO BE DEMONSTRATIONS
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL.

( Chanting )
GAY! GAY! ALL THE WAY!

Russo". I WAS WALKING HOME
FROM WORK ON 7th AVENUE,

AND SOMEBODY HANDED ME A LEAFLET
OUTSIDE ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL.

AND THE LEAFLET SAID,

"NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT,
DIEGO VINALES WAS PUSHED."

IT VVAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE THAT
I EVER MADE A POLITICAL CONNECTION

TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING
TO GAY PEOPLE.

THAT, IN FACT, HE WAS PUSHED
FROM THAT WINDOW BY SOCIETY.

THAT WAS MY TURNING POINT.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK
ON A THURSDAY,

I WENT TO MY FIRST MEETING
AT THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE,

AND THEN THE ORGANIZED
REACTION REACHED ME.

POLITICAL FEELINGS
THAT I HAD

FINALLY CAME OUT
AT THAT POINT.

THAT WAS MY TURNING POINT

IN TERMS OF HOW I SAW LIFE
AND HOW I SAW GAY POLITICS.

AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT
INVOLVED IN THE MOVEMENT.

( whistling, cheering )

Evans: THE GAY LIBERATION MOVEMENT
WAS AN EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE

BECAUSE THERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE
WHO HAD A SENSE OF GAY PRIDE.

THEY SAW BEING GAY
AS SOMETHING POSITIVE.

Crowd:
I'M GAY AND I'M PROUD!

IT VVAS NOT A NEGATIVE THING AT ALL.
IT VVAS SOMETHING

TO BUILD ON AND TO CELEBRATE
AND BE HAPPY ABOUT.

Reporter:
WHY ARE YOU HERE TODAY?

DARLING, I WANT
MY GAY RIGHTS NOW.

Evans".
THE STONEWALL RIOT ENGENDERED

AN ENERGY THAT
LIVED BEYOND ITSELF.

THE ENERGY BECAME CHANNELED
INTO ORGANIZATIONS.

ONE OF THE FIRST WAS
THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE.

"LET'S GO OUT AND
CONFRONT THE SYSTEM

AND MAKE A BETTER WORLD."

Kantrowitz: THERE WAS NO ARGUING WITH US.
WE WERE ANGRY PEOPLE.

WE HAD JUST DISCOVERED
THIS INJUSTICE

THAT SOCIETY
HAD PERPETRATED ON US.

OUR PLACE lN THE SCHEME OF THINGS
DIDN'T HAVE TO BE WHAT IT WAS.

WE WERE ENTITLED TO FULL
RECOGNITION AS CITIZENS.

Rotello:
AND VITO, HE WAS A VERY EARLY

AND VERY ACTIVE MEMBER
OF THE GAY LIBERATION MOVEMENT.

HE JOINED THE GAY
ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE

RIGHT WHEN IT FIRST STARTED.

Russo".
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS

THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT YOU DO,

HOMOSEXUALITY IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU ARE--

THE WAY HETEROSEXUALITY
IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE,

AND PEOPLE HAVE NEVER LOOKED
AT US LIKE THAT BEFORE.

AND I THINK PD
LIKE TO TRY

TO MAKE IT CLEAR

FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST
DON'T UNDERSTAND US.

David Ehrenstein:
HE WAS FULLY LOADED.

HE WAS FULLY EQUIPPED
WITH IDEAS AND ARGUMENTS,

AND HE WAS READY
TO TAKE YOU ON.

I THINK MIDDLE AMERICA IS GAY
AS WELL AS STRAIGHT, YOU KNOW?

AND THIS FAMOUS "PUBLIC"
THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT

IS GAY AS WELL AS STRAIGHT
AND PEOPLE FORGET THAT.

Charles: IT WASN'T
UNTIL LIKE 1970, '71,

THAT IT ALL CAME TOGETHER
THAT VITO WAS GAY.

VITO HAD INVITED MY MOM AND I
TO COME TO THE VILLAGE.

WELL, HERE'S VITO
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET:

BELL BOTTOMS,
THE WHOLE BIT,

IN A LIP LOCK
WITH ANOTHER GUY.

A TOTAL LIP LOCK,
AND I WAS LIKE...

I JUST NEVER
SAW THAT BEFORE.

Antonellis:
WHEN HE DID COME OUT,

WE ALL WERE AWARE THAT VITO
HAD MALE FRIENDS

WHO WERE MORE THAN FRIENDS

COMING TO THE HOUSE
AND HOLDING HANDS.

lF THEY SHOWED
UNDUE AFFECTION,

HIS DAD WOULD LEAVE THE ROOM AND WE WOULD
SAY, "VITO, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT."

AND HE'D SAY, "WHY?
HETEROSEXUALS CAN BE BLATANT

AND WE CAN'T?"

SO THEN IF I WOULD SIT
ON HIS LAP OR I WOULD...

HE'D SAY, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
THAT'S NOT ALLOWED."

Charles: AND THEN OF COURSE OUR
PARENTS KIND OF CAME TO TERMS

WITH VITO BEING GAY.

MY FATHER WAS SO ACCEPTING
AND GENTLE AND...

MY MOM JUST...
SHE WAS PRETTY WONDERFUL.

HERE'S MOM AND DAD
SO SUPPORTIVE OF VITO.

HE KNEW THAT THEY HAD
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR HIM.

I THINK IT GAVE HIM
A LITTLE POWER AND STRENGTH

THAT OTHERS MIGHT
NOT HAVE HAD.

Evans".
WE HAD OBTAINED

AN OLD, RUNDOWN FIREHOUSE,

AND WE MADE IT INTO
A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY CENTER.

NO SUBSIDIES,
NO BUREAUCRATS,

NO NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS,

NO POLITICIANS HELPING US.
WE JUST WENT IN AND DID IT.

Russo: IF AN INSTANCE COMES
BEFORE THIS ORGANIZATION

WHERE A HOMOSEXUAL HAS BEEN THE
VICTIM OF SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION,

IT THEN FALLS WITHIN
THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE

AND THE ORGANIZATION

AND IS GROUNDS FOR INTERVENTION
BY THIS ORGANIZATION

ON A SYSTEMATIC BASIS.

Evans".
IN THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE,

THERE WAS A GREAT EMPHASIS
ON STREET ACTIVISM.

WE FACED ALL
THESE INSTITUTIONS.

THE CHURCH, THE STATE,
LABOR UNIONS,

POLITICAL PARTIES,
PSYCHIATRIC ORGANIZATIONS.

Russo".
A ZAP IS AN ACTION.

WHAT IT MEANS IS YOU TARGET
A PERSON OR AN ORGANIZATION.

IT CAN BE ANYTHING
FROM A PICKET

TO A TAKEOVER OF A
BUILDING OR A PERSONS OFFICE.

IT'S LIKE lF A FLY IS ON THE WALL
AND YOU SWAT IT WITH A NEWSPAPER,

YOU'VE ZAPPED IT.

FOR INSTANCE, A MAN
NAMED JOSEPH EPSTEIN

WROTE A PIECE
IN "HARPER'S MAGAZINE."

HE SAID,
"IF I HAD THE POWER,

I WOULD WIPE HOMOSEXUALITY
OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH."

SO WE DECIDED THAT WHAT
WE WERE GOING TO DO

WAS TAKE OVER THE OFFICES
OF "HARPER'S MAGAZINE."

Announcer: THE GAY ACTIVISTS
ALLIANCE SANG SONGS

AND TALKED WITH SOME OF THE
OFFICIALS OF "HARPER'S"

ABOUT AN ARTICLE IN
LAST MONTH'S ISSUE

WHICH THEY, THE HOMOSEXUALS,
CONSIDERED OPPRESSIVE.

Russo".
WHAT WE DID WAS,

THEY WERE HEADQUARTERED
IN A HUGE OFFICE BUILDING,

AND WE GOT THERE AT 8100
IN THE MORNING.

THERE WERE A LOT OF US,

AND WE TOOK OVER THE OFFICE BEFORE
ANYONE EVEN ARRIVED FOR WORK.

lT GOT ENORMOUS ATTENTION ALL
OVER NEW YORK AND NATIONALLY.

Announcer: A SPOKESMAN SAID THE MAIN
THRUST OF TODAY'S DEMONSTRATION

WAS TO PUT THIS AND OTHER
MAGAZINES ON NOTICE

THAT ANY ARTICLE THEY WRITE
ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS

HAD BETTER NOT BE OPPRESSIVE.

Evans".
IN 1971,

THE CLERK OF NEW YORK CITY,
HERMAN KATZ,

WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE
GRATUITOUS HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS

TO THE "NEW YORK POST”
ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.

SO WE DECIDED TO

RAISE HIS CONSCIOUSNESS
A LITTLE BIT.

AND NOW, WE'RE GONNA GO TO
THE G.A.A. FIREHOUSE,

PICK UP WITH THE
G.A.A. PEOPLE,

AND CONTINUE TO
THE MARRIAGE BUREAU,

WHERE I UNDERSTAND AN ENGAGEMENT
PARTY IS DUE TO BE HELD.

Marc Rubin: GAY PEOPLE
HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIFE,

LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT
OF HAPPINESS.

GAY PEOPLE HAVE
THE RIGHT TO LOVE.

AND NO PETTY MUNICIPAL CLERK

HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL
GAY PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE.

Schiavi: VITO, AND HIS
THEN LOVER, STEVE KROTZ,

DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS VERY DIRECTLY.

THEY SENT OUT A HUGE BARRAGE
OF INVITATIONS.

( Rubin reading)

( crowd laughs )

Schiavi:
G.A.A. ARRIVED IN FORCE

AT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

WITH A WEDDING CAKE THAT HAD
PLASTIC GROOMS IN A PAIR.

IT HAD PLASTIC BRIDES
IN A PAIR.

AND THEY WERE HANDING OUT
TONS OF LITERATURE.

- Man". GIMME A G!
- Crowd". G!

- GIMME AN A!
- A!

- GIMME A Y!
- Y!

Russo: IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS

THAT WE HAD EVER HELD,

AND I THINK IT WAS PARTIALLY
OUR FERVOR.

AND IT WORKED REALLY
SPECTACULARLY.

All:
GAY POWER!

Evans".
THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE

WAS ORIGINALLY A POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION.

BUT THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE
IN G.A.A.,

ESPECIALLY VITO RUSSO,

WHO SAID, "WHAT ABOUT
THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION?"

( chattering )

Schiavi: VITO'S IDEA WAS THERE
WERE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS

OF GAY PEOPLE
IN NEW YORK CITY

WHO WOULD NEVER
GO TO A ZAP,

WHO WOULD NEVER
COME TO A MEETING,

BUT WHO VERY MUCH WANTED
TO DANCE WITH OTHER GAY PEOPLE.

( Dance music playing )

Ehrenstein: WHEN WE GOT THE G.A.A.
FIREHOUSE,

WE HAD DANCES
EVERY WEEKEND.

THAT'S THE ESSENCE
OF GAY LIBERATION--

IT'S POLITICS
THAT YOU CAN DANCE TO.

Mecca: INCREDIBLE DANCES.
( laughs )

ABOUT A ZILLION MEN
WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF

DOING ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

FOR ME IT WAS LIKE,
"I'VE JUST ARRIVED IN HEAVEN."

THERE WAS A HUGE SOCIAL
ASPECT TO G.A.A.

WE SAID VERY OPENLY

WE WERE OUT FOR THE SEXUAL
LIBERATION OF ALL PEOPLE.

WE PRACTICED
WHAT WE PREACHED.

YOU WOULD GO TO
DEMONSTRATIONS.

THE HORMONES WERE RAGING
AT THESE THINGS.

LET'S BE REAL,
YOU KNOW.

EVERYBODY WAS LIKE 19, 20
YEARS OLD

WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF
ON A HOT, SWEATY DAY.

WE'D BE CRUISING
OUR BUTTS OFF.

YEAH, OF COURSE, THE POLITICAL
CAUSE WAS IMPORTANT

BUT, SHIT, IF YOU COULD GET
A TRICK OUT OF IT, TOO,

WHY NOT?

Vilanch: NEW YORK WAS A GAY
MECCA, IT WAS A SEXUAL MECCA.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
WERE IN NEW YORK

WERE HAVING A LOT OF SEX
A LOT OF THE TIME

BECAUSE IT WAS AVAILABLE.

IT VVAS THE BIG APPLE. IN THIS
CASE, IT VVAS ALSO THE BIG BANANA.

( Splash )

Leonard Bloom: AND VITO, HE
UNDERSTOOD THAT HEALTHY HUMAN BEINGS

HAD HEALTHY SEX LIVES.

AND HE LIKED HAVING SEX.

OH, YEAH. VITO WAS A SLUT,
AND HE WAS PROUD OF IT.

FOR HIM, GAY LIBERATION WAS
VERY MUCH SEXUAL LIBERATION.

THE FREEDOM TO GO OUT
AND HAVE SEX

WITH WHOEVER YOU WANTED

WHENEVER, WHEREVER HE COULD, I
THINK, WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HIM.

Schiavi:
VITO LOVED SEX,

AND VITO WAS
OF A GENERATION

WHERE HAVING SEX WITH AS MANY
MEN AS YOU POSSIBLY COULD

WAS A WAY OF EXPRESSING
GAY PRIDE.

VITO WAS VERY POPULAR.

A LOT OF GUYS
LOVED THIS WIRY,

FURRY ITALIAN GUY
WITH THE BIG GRIN.

THE ONLY THING THAT VVAS SCANDALOUS
ABOUT VITO THAT I REMEMBER

WAS THAT WHEN HE PROUDLY WOULD
TELL US THAT HE WAS AT THE BATHS.

AND THE BOYS SAT AROUND NAKED

OR SCANTILY CLAD IN TOWELS.

HE MET BETTE MIDLER THERE.

HE WOULD SAY SHE WAS THE MOST
INCREDIBLE TALENT HE'D EVER MET.

THIS IS MY 800th FAREWELL APPEARANCE
HERE AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS.

- I LOVE IT. HEALTH SPA FOR HAIRDRESSERS.
- ( laughing )

Ankonems: HIS MOTHER WOULD SAY.
"WHAT DO THEY DO AT THOSE BATHS?"

AND I'D SAY, "I DON'T WANNA
THINK ABOUT IT. I DON'T KNOW."

Mark Thompson: HE WAS
JUST A LITTLE SHOW QUEEN.

HE HAD A REAL THEATRICAL
PRESENCE ABOUT HIM,

AND HIS EYES
WERE ALWAYS SPARKLING.

I'M SURE VITO
WAS THE FIRST TO SAY,

"LET'S PUT ON A SHOW."

Rich Wandel: WELL, OF COURSE FOR
HIM, THE MAIN FOCUS WAS FILM,

AND SO HE DID THE FILM NIGHTS,
MOVIE NIGHTS.

Evans: ONE NIGHT, VITO
SHOWED UP WITH A SHEET.

HE TURNED ON THE PROJECTOR
AND HE SAID,

"I WANNA SHOW MOVIES."

Kantrowitz: THOSE WERE
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES.

HE WOULD HAVE ALL-NIGHT
FESTIVALS.

WE WOULD LIE ON THE FLOOR
WITH SLEEPING BAGS.

Wander. NOT BEING A
MOVIE PERSON MYSELF,

HE BROUGHT THINGS IN THAT I
NEVER WOULD HAVE HEARD OF.

THEY WERE THE WHOLE RANGE.

BOY, HAVE I HAD A DAY.

MY DAY HASN'T BEEN
SO HOT EITHER.

Steve Krotz:
EVERYBODY HAD A BALL.

HE WOULD SHOW THE CLASSICS:

"HELLO DOLLY,"
"AUNTIE MAME,"

(laughing)
"SOUND OF MUSIC."

AND EVERY GARLAND FILM THAT
WAS EVER MADE. ( laughs )

MRS. NORMAN MAINE.

Rob Epstein:
JUDY WAS EVERYTHING TO VITO.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS A CLASSIC
GAY MALE SYNDROME.

JUDY WAS THE SUN
AND THE MOON

AS FAR AS VITO
WAS CONCERNED.

Bloom:
VITO LOVED THE ENTERTAINMENT.

A GOOD MUSICAL OR A GREAT
WOMEN'S PRISON FILM.

Announcer:
HERE, WOMEN WITHOUT MEN

LIVE ONLY FOR
THE MOMENT OF FREEDOM

WHILE THE BARS OF THEIR
CAGE SEEM TO CLOSE IN ON THEM

IN A MAD SWIRLING PATTERN
OF TERROR.

Evans".
VITO SHOWED THESE MOVIES

AND WE WERE ALL THESE GAY PEOPLE IN
THE AUDIENCE WATCHING THESE FILMS,

AND WE DISCOVERED THAT WE
ALL LAUGHED AT THE SAME PLACES.

I'VE HAD TWO YEARS
TO GROW CLAWS, MOTHER.

JUNGLE RED!

( Iaughing )

Russo". THE EXPERIENCE
OF SEEING THOSE MOVIES

WITH AN ALMOST
ALL-GAY AUDIENCE

IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN SEEING
THEM IN MAINSTREAM THEATERS.

AND SO I WANTED TO PROVIDE
THAT EXPERIENCE.

Kraut
IT WAS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

EVERYBODY FELT THAT THEY
COULD BE SAFE AND OPEN

IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.

WHEN THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE
IS GAY,

JUST LIKE WHEN YOU'RE
WITH GAY PEOPLE

AND YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BEFORE,

YOU IMMEDIATELY FEEL
MORE LIBERATED.

THE MOVIE NIGHTS REALLY PROVIDED
THAT IN A VERY ENTERTAINING WAY.

I'VE NEVER TAKEN ORDERS
FROM ANYONE.

AS LONG AS I LIVE, I'LL NEVER
TAKE ORDERS FROM ANYONE.

I'M YOUNG AND STRONG
AND NOTHING CAN TOUCH ME.

Thompson:
FOR VITO, OF COURSE,

TO BE OPEN, PROUD,
SELF-RESPECTING...

TO FOSTER THAT,
TO HELP THAT GROW,

TO PROMOTE THAT...
THAT WAS HIS LIFE.

THE STRUGGLE FOR GAY
AND LESBIAN CIVIL RIGHTS.

I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING
MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM.

Russo".
THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION:

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE POLITICAL
IN THEIR LIVES?

YOU KNOW, LIFE IS FULL
OF INJUSTICE

AND SOME PEOPLE IT BOTHERS
AND SOME PEOPLE IT DOESN'T.

AND ME, IT BOTHERS.

I DON'T THINK I COULD LIVE
ANY OTHER WAY.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S
A CHOICE INVOLVED.

THIS IS WHO I AM.

Krotz: G.A.A. BECAME
VERY BIG, VERY FAST.

WE WERE DRAWING 5-. 6-.
700 PEOPLE FOR MEETINGS.

AT THAT POINT G.A.A.
AND THE MOVEMENT ITSELF

WAS BEGINNING
TO FRACTURALIZE.

WE WERE HAVING ALL
OF THESE GROUPS

STARTING TO FIGHT
WITH EACH OTHER.

THE DRAG QUEEN IS SOMETHING
WE'VE BEEN STUCK WITH, FRANKLY,

BECAUSE THE DRAG QUEEN
MAKES UP ABOUT ONE PERCENT

OF THE HOMOSEXUAL POPULATION.

Michael Denneny: OFTEN THE
MEETINGS WOULD DEGENERATE

INTO WHO WAS MORE
OPPRESSED THAN WHOM.

THE WOMEN WERE MORE OPPRESSED
THAN THE MEN,

AND THE BLACKS WOULD SAY THEY WERE
MORE OPPRESSED THAN THE WOMEN,

AND THEN THE TRANSVESTITES
WOULD SAY

THEY WERE MORE OPPRESSED
THAN THE BLACKS.

AND YOU WOULD GET INTO THESE
INCREDIBLE WRANGLES.

Russo".
IT ALL CAME TO A HEAD

AT THE 1973 GAY PRIDE RALLY

AFTER THE MARCH lN
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK.

I WAS THE MC.

JUST A MOMENT, JUST A MOMENT,
JUST A MOMENT.

I WOULD LIKE TO AVOID
ANY TROUBLE.

THIS IS A DAY OF
UNITY FOR US.

I WANT US TO BE HAPPY.
LET US BE.

RAY RIVERA, WHOSE DRAG NAME
WAS SYLVIA,

WAS A 42nd STREET HUSTLER,
A DRAG QUEEN.

AND HE FOUGHT HIS WAY
TO THE STAGE PHYSICALLY.

HE WAS PUSHED OFF THE STAGE
BY MARSHALS.

WE SAID, "LISTEN,
YOU KNOW THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

WE'RE BEATING UP OUR OWN
PEOPLE. LET HIM SPEAK."

I HAVE BEEN THROWN IN JAIL.

I HAVE LOST MY JOB.

I HAVE LOST MY APARTMENT
FOR GAY LIBERATION.

AND YOU ALL TREAT ME THIS WAY?

WHAT THE FUCK'S WRONG
WITH YOU ALL?

THINK ABOUT THAT.

Russo". SO THEN JEAN O'LEARY
CAME UP TO ME AND SHE SAID

"I THOUGHT THERE WERE GONNA BE
NO POLITICAL SPEECHES TODAY."

I SAID, "JEAN, AS LONG AS WE'RE
GONNA MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR HIM,

NOW WE HAVE TO THROW IT OPEN,

SO, OF COURSE YOU CAN SPEAK.”

LESBIAN FEMINIST LIBERATION

- HAS NEGOTIATED FOR A WEEK AND A HALF.
- Man: BOO!

LISTEN TO HER. YOU LISTENED
TO EVERYONE ELSE, LISTEN.

THAT IS THE LEAST WE
CAN DO FOR EACH OTHER.

LISTEN TO HER.

Schiavi:
JEAN GOT UP THERE AND SAID,

"THERE ARE TIMES WHEN
I'M ASHAMED TO BE GAY

BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO BEING A
LESBIAN, I'M ALSO A WOMAN.

AND THESE PEOPLE ARE
MAKING FUN OF WOMEN."

Russo". THE DRAG QUEENS. THEY
FELT REJECTED ON ALL SIDES.

AND THIS QUEEN NAMED
LEE BREWSTER

GOT UP AND SAID,
"IT'S JUST SO SAD

THAT WE HAVE TO REMIND YOU

THAT WHAT YOU'RE
CELEBRATING TODAY

WAS WHAT THE DRAG QUEENS
DID AT THE STONEWALL."

YOU GO TO BARS BECAUSE OF WHAT
DRAG QUEENS DID FOR YOU

AND LET THESE BITCHES TELL US
WE'RE OFFENSIVE?

( Cheering )

Karla Jay: I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO
GOT INTO A FIGHT IN THE AUDIENCE.

IT WAS SORT OF ESCALATING.

GOODBYE. GOOD LUCK,

MY SOMETIMES FRIENDS.

Russo". PLEASE DON'T
FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER.

PLEASE, THAT'S ALL I VVANT IS THAT
YOU DON'T FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER.

Karla Jay: VITO, HE WAS TRYING
TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

BUT AS SOMEONE WHO WAS
IN THE AUDIENCE,

I DON'T THINK HE
HAD A REAL IDEA

OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH
THINGS HAD DETERIORATED.

Kantrowitz: VITO DID HIS BEST TO
GET US TOGETHER ON THE SAME TRACK,

BUT IT GOT TOTALLY DISRUPTED.

AND VITO, MUCH AS HE TRIED,
COULDN'T HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER.

I HEARD A LITTLE BIT
ON THE RADIO

AND IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE
BEATING EACH OTHER UP OUT HERE.

ULTIMATELY HE SUCCEEDED BY
BRINGING ON BETTE MIDLER,

WHICH KIND OF WOULD DO IT.

♪ YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS ♪

♪ OH, THE FEELING'S
OH SO STRONG ♪

♪ YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS. I'

Schiavi:
IT BROUGHT THE CROWD TOGETHER.

IT ACTUALLY WAS THIS
TREMENDOUSLY HEALING MOMENT.

Vilanch: THEY LOVED BETTE BECAUSE
SHE'D APPEARED AT THE TUBS.

SHE WAS A STRAIGHT WOMAN ALLY.

SO THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL
OF GOODWILL TOWARDS HER.

- ( Cheering )
- THANK YOU!

Vilanch: BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, IT WAS LIKE...

THERE WAS A FACTION SAYING,
"WHAT'S SHE DOING HERE?"

A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T
WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS.

THEY JUST WANTED TO

ESTABLISH A POLITICAL BASE
OF GAY PEOPLE.

- ( Crowd ) AW.
- GONE, SHE'S GONE. THANK YOU.

Russo".
G.A.A. DIDN'T LAST LONG.

G.A.A. BEGAN TO FALL
APART AFTER '73.

I THINK HISTORICALLY IT
PASSED ITS TIME,

AS EVERY GROUP DOES AND
EVOLVES INTO SOMETHING ELSE.

EVENTUALLY, G.A.A.
SORT OF PETERED OUT.

ITS TIME WAS OVER.

IT WAS TIME
FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

Schiavi:
AFTER VITO LEFT G.A.A.,

HE BASICALLY FOCUSED
ON HIS WRITING CAREER.

HE VVAS MAKING A VERY STRONG NAME
FOR HIMSELF AS A GAY JOURNALIST.

Epstein: HE MADE A LIVING
AS A FREELANCE WRITER,

WHICH YOU COULD
DO AT THAT POINT,

WRITING FOR PERIODICALS.

FILM MAGAZINES,
CINEASTE MAGAZINES.

Thompson: VITO HAD EMERGED AS A
POWERFUL CONTRIBUTOR TO "THE ADVOCATE,”

PARTICULARLY KNOWN
FOR CELEBRITY PROFILES,

WHICH WERE ALWAYS PUT
RIGHT ON THE COVER.

Richard Berkowitz: THE ONE MOMENT THAT
REALLY SEEMED TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

WAS HIS INTERVIEW
WITH LILY TOMLIN.

I ADORED LILY TOMLIN
AS A KID.

I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'VE HAD
A LAG IN OUR COMMUNICATION.

MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG
WITH YOUR INSTRUMENT.

HERE WAS SOMEONE I REALLY
ADORED AND ADMIRED,

THEN THERE'S VITO
INTERVIEWING HER.

Schiavi: LILY TOMLIN AND VITO
HAD THIS VERY CLOSE FRIENDSHIP

IN THE '70s.

AT THE TIME, SHE WAS
THIS HUGE RISING STAR.

I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL ACTRESS.

I AM A REAL PERSON
LIKE YOURSELF.

( Iaughter )

Lily Tomlin: HE NEVER
REALLY TRIED TO MOTIVATE ME

TO COME OUT IN A BIG WAY,

BUT I KNEW HE WOULD
HAVE LIKED IT.

OF COURSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY
NERVOUS ABOUT IT ANYAY, CAREER WISE,

BUT NOT THAT I'D EVER

FELT THAT I WAS REALLY
PERSONALLY CLOSETED,

BUT, YOU KNOW,
I HAD A BIG,

HUGE AMERICAN AUDIENCE
FROM TELEVISION

AND I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE JUST THOUGHT
I VVAS A NICE GIRL FROM DETROIT.

IN FACT, IN '75

"TIME MAGAZINE" OFFERED ME THE COVER
OF "TIME" IF I WOULD COME OUT.

WHEN THEY OFFERED IT TO ME,
I CALLED VITO

AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW, IT
FEELS LIKE I WAS BEING BOUGHT."

THEY WANTED SOMEBODY AND THEY WERE JUST
OUT FISHING AROUND TO GET SOMEBODY.

THAT'S WHY I WASN'T AFRAID TO DO
"THE ADVOCATE“ INTERVIEW WITH HIM

BECAUSE I FELT HIS HUMANITY
WAS SO EVOLVED

THAT IT WASN'T LIKE HE
WAS OUT TO MAKE POINTS.

Berkowitz:
I THINK WHAT SHE SAID WAS,

"I WOULDN'T GIVE AN INTERVIEW TO A
GAY NEWSPAPER AND NOT COME OUT."

HENCE, SHE WAS COMING OUT.

I REMEMBER READING IT AND
JUST BEING ABSOLUTELY JOYFUL

AND OVERWHELMED

THAT SOMEONE I ADMIRED
AND DIDN'T KNOW WAS GAY WAS.

Man: EXCUSE ME, CAN I
ASK YOU A QUESTION?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
GAY LIBERATION MOVEMENT?

Tomlin:
THE GAY LIBERATION MOVEMENT.

WELL, I SAY ALL HUMAN BEINGS

HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER
THEY WANT TO DO.

OF COURSE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND
HOW THEY DO IT.

BUT FROM ALL REPORTS IT
IS GETTING DONE SOMEHOW.

Russo". I WAS A GRADUATE
STUDENT IN CINEMA AT N.Y.U.

AND THEY NEEDED SOMEBODY AT
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

TO HELP IN FILM DISTRIBUTION.

IT WAS MY FIRST JOB, REALLY.

Jon Ganenberg: WORKING IN
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART,

IT WAS ACTUALLY AN
INCREDIBLE PERIOD OF TIME

BECAUSE WE WERE ALL REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING.

IT WAS A REAL TIME OF
GREAT DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION.

THERE WERE PEOPLE DOING
RESEARCH, PEOPLE PROGRAMMING.

BUT IT REALLY
WAS A PIONEERING TIME.

Rotello:
IN THOSE DA YS--

THIS WAS BEFORE
EVEN V.H.S. EXISTED-

MOVIES CAME OUT,

THEY PLAYED lN THE
THEATER FOR A WEEK OR TWO,

AND THAT WAS IT.
THEY DISAPPEARED.

YOU NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN.

SO VITO HAD PRETTY
UNIQUE ACCESS,

FOR A YOUNG GUY WHO
LOVED MOVIES,

TO JUST» THIS HUGE,
HUGE DATABASE.

Epstein:
AND WHILE AT THE MUSEUM,

VITO STARTED MAKING
THESE DISCOVERIES

OF REPRESENTATION
OF GAY CHARACTERS

IN THESE VERY EARLY MOVIES.

Michael Lumpkin: HE WAS
LOOKING AT FILMS CONSTANTLY,

LOOKING FOR THOSE
GAY PIECES AND GAY BITS

IN MOVIES
FROM THE BEGINNING.

Jerry Friedman: HE STARTED JUST
COMING ACROSS THESE IMAGES

AND RECOGNIZING HIS EXPERIENCE

AND BEING BLOWN AWAY BY IT.

Russo". IF YOU LOOK AT THE
HISTORY OF THIS SUBJECT,

YOU FIND THAT GAY CHARACTERS
HAVE EXISTED ON FILM

SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

THOMAS EDISON'S 1895
PIECE OF FILM

IS TWO MEN DANCING A WALTZ.

SO A COMPONENT
OF WHO GAY PEOPLE ARE

HAS EXISTED SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THIS ART FORM.

CLUES TO WHO GAY PEOPLE ARE EXISTED
IN THE MOST OBSCURE FiLMS.

BEFORE 1933, THERE WERE AN ASTONISHING
NUMBER OF GAY CHARACTERS ON THE SCREEN.

VERY EXPLICIT, YOU KNOW WOMEN WITH
THEIR ARMS AROUND ONE ANOTHER.

MEN HOLDING HANDS AND DANCING.

I WAS JUST AS SURPRISED

WHEN I DISCOVERED
SOME OF THIS STUFF.

YOU KNOW, YOU JUST FIND THINGS
THAT MESMERIZE YOU.

I DIDN'T KNOW HALF
OF THIS STUFF EXISTED.

♪ AND ON A GREAT
BIG BATTLESHIP ♪

♪ YOU'D LIKE TO BE ♪

♪ WORKING AS CHAMBERMAIDS. ♪

(laughing)

Ehrenstein: AND WHAT HE DID WAS
HE SIMPLY WENT THROUGH THE MOVIES

AND CATALOGED

WHAT IMAGES OF GAYS
AND LESBIANS THERE WERE.

James Saslow:
HE JUST SAID,

"THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY
IN THE MOVIES OF US,

AND PM GONNA
DIG THIS ALL OUT

AND LAY IT OUT
SO NOBODY CAN

DENY IT ANY MORE."

Schiavi: AND AT THE
TIME, WILLARD VAN DYKE

WAS THE HEAD OF THE FILM
DEPARTMENT AT M.O.M.A.

AND HEARD VITO TALKING
IN THE OFFICE

ABOUT GAY IMAGES IN FILM.

VAN DYKE WAS SO IMPRESSED
WITH THIS

THAT HE SAID TO VITO,

"YOU REALLY SHOULD BE THE
ONE TO WRITE A BOOK

ON GAYS AND LESBIANS
IN THE MOVIES."

Rotello:
WILLARD VAN DYKE SAID TO VITO,

"YOU KNOW, NOBODY ELSE
IS DOING THIS.

YOU'RE INTERESTED
IN THE MOVIES,

YOU'RE INTERESTED
IN GAY RIGHTS

AND THE PLIGHT
OF GAY PEOPLE,

CONNECT THE DOTS,
WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS?"

THAT'S WHAT
HE THEN EMBARKED ON.

BUT HE THOUGHT, I THINK,
ORIGINALLY

THAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE
A YEAR OR SO

AND REALIZED THAT HE JUST DIDN'T HAVE
ANYWHERE NEAR THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH.

AND THIS WAS GONNA
TAKE YEARS.

Kantrowitz: ONE SUMMER I WAS
WITH HIM ON FIRE ISLAND,

AND HE WAS SETTING OUT
TO WRITE A BOOK

BASED ON HIS KNOWLEDGE
OF FILM.

( Clock ticking )

AND EVERY DAY, HE WOULD GET UP
AND SIT THERE BY THE TYPEWRITER.

AND WHAT HE REALIZED
EVENTUALLY

WAS THAT HE WASN'T READY
YET TO WRITE THIS BOOK.

Thompson: THE MATERIAL BACK
THEN WAS DEEPLY BURIED,

AND SO HE WAS LIKE
A SHERLOCK HOLMES

ON THIS DETECTIVE JOURNEY,

FOLLOWING DOWN EVERY LEAD,

EVERY PATH, EVERY TRAIL.

Russo". THERE'S NO
"HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE MOVIES"

IN THE CARD CATALOG,
BELIEVE ME.

I HAD TO PIECE IT
TOGETHER BY WORD OF MOUTH.

Schiavi:
THOUSANDS OF NOTES POURED IN

AND HE HAD JUST CATALOGS
AND FILES

OF ALL THESE OBSCURE,

TOTALLY DISCONNECTED
REFERENCES.

HE ALSO STARTED VISITING FILM
ARCHIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY.

HE WENT TO THE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

HE SPENT AN ENTIRE MONTH
IN WASHINGTON,

AND HE WOULD SEE
THREE FILMS A DAY.

HE THEN WENT TO EUROPE.

HE WENT TO THE BRITISH
FILM INSTITUTE.

HE WENT TO THE SWEDISH FILM
INSTITUTE.

lN A PERIOD OF ABOUT
FIVE YEARS,

HE SAW OVER 400 MOVIES

AND GRADUALLY WHITTLED
THEM DOWN

INTO THE ARGUMENT THAT BECAME
"THE CELLULOID CLOSET."

Kantrowitz:
THE RESEARCH CONTINUED

UNTIL HE PUT TOGETHER
SOME FILM CLIPS.

HE GAVE LECTURES AND
USED THEM AS ILLUSTRATION.

Man:
"WE'RE TALKING WITH VITO RUSSO,

THE FILM CRITIC AND HISTORIAN,

WITH HIS FILM PROGRAM
"THE CELLULOID CLOSET,"

A SURVEY OF HOMOSEXUALS
IN THE MOVIES.

Schiavi: VITO'S "CELLULOID
CLOSET" LECTURES CAME ABOUT

IN ABOUT 1973.

HE STARTED DOING THESE PRESENTATIONS
AT SMALL COLLEGES AROUND THE AREA.

Russo".
AS USUAL WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO

AS COMPREHENSIVE A
SELECTIVE SURVEY TODAY

OF HOW LESBIANS AND GAY MEN
ARE DEFINED ONSCREEN

FROM THE POINT OF VIEW
OF SOMEONE

WHO REALLY LOVES THE MOVIES.

Rotello:
VITO WAS A GENUINE ENTERTAINER

AND SO PEOPLE LOVED THAT SHOW.

lT QUICKLY GOT A REPUTATION OF,
YOU KNOW,

IF HE'S COMING TO YOUR TOWN,

DON'T MISS THIS.

YOU MUST EXCUSE MY COMING
IN MY TOWN CLOTHES,

BUT YOUR CHAUFFER SAID THERE
WASN'T A MOMENT TO LOSE

SO I CAME JUST AS I AM.

Both:
HELLO, LOU.

- CHERRY SISTERS.
- ( laughs )

Russo". IN EARLY FILMS. WE
HAD A NATURAL EXPOSITION

OF LIFE AS IT WAS LIVED
IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND THAT INCLUDED GAY PEOPLE.

HAVE A CIGAR.

WHY YOU BIG SISSY.

Russo".
PEOPLE FORGET THIS.

THIS IS A SORT OF
REVISIONIST HISTORY.

YOU KNOW, GAY PEOPLE
DIDN'T EXIST.

OF COURSE THEY EXISTED.

THEY'VE ALWAYS EXISTED
ON THE SCREEN.

OH! THE HUSSY!

( Screams )
A MAN!

( Gasps )

IT'S AN ERA THAT's FORGOTTEN

AND THAT WAS WIPED OUT
BY THE CENSORSHIP CODE

FROM '33 TO '61.

THE PRODUCTION CODE BANNED

ANY REFERENCE TO THE EXISTENCE
OF HOMOSEXUALITY.

NOT ONLY COULD YOU NOT
DO SOMETHING GAY IN A FILM

OR SAY SOMETHING GAY

BUT YOU COULD NOT MAKE
REFERENCE TO THE FACT

THAT SUCH PEOPLE EXISTED.

AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS

DURING THAT TIME,
FROM 1934 UNTIL 1961,

THERE WAS A LOT OF
SUBTEXTUAL SUBLIMINAL

UNNOTICED LESBIANISM
AND HOMOSEXUALITY.

- YOU DECENT?
- NO, I'M NOT. MARTHA'S HERE.

- HELLO, MARTHA.
- HELLO.

HE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT
HE WAS OBSERVING IN THE MOVIES.

WHAT POSITION HAVE WE,
I WONDER,

FOR A BOY OF
SUCH VARIED GIFTS.

JUST THOSE INNUENDOS
THAT NOBODY EVER SAW.

YOU MUST LEAD A GAY LIFE.

I LEAD THE LIFE
I LIKE TO LEAD.

AND WITH HIS GAY EYE,
HE DIDN'T MISS IT.

- SEE YOU AT 9:00 THEN, AMY.
- FINE.

IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL PARTY.

DIDN'T YOU SEE WHEN THEY
LOOKED AT EACH OTHER?

EVERYBODY WOULD SAY,
"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

WELL, WELL. HAND ME MY ROBE,
PLEASE.

BUT lN ANY MOVIE, I DON'T CARE
WHAT MOVIE HE EVER WATCHED,

HE WOULD TELL YOU WHERE
THE HOMOSEXUAL CONNECTION WAS.

WHY ARE YOU WEARING
THESE CLOTHES?

BECAUSE I JUST WENT GAY
ALL OF A SUDDEN!

Richard Barrios: FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN THE 1930s AND '40s AND '50s,

LEADING VERY, VERY KIND
OF CLOSETED LIVES,

EVEN A BRIEF REFERENCE
OR A SUGGESTION.

THAT'S A GOOD-LOOKING GUN YOU
WERE ABOUT TO USE BACK THERE.

CAN I SEE IT?

IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A PERSON
IN THE DESERT WITHOUT WATER

STUMBLING ON AN OASIS.
YOU GRAB ONTO IT.

YEAH, THAT'S VERY GOOD.

Russo". LESBIANS AND GAY MEN
THROUGHOUT MOST OF THEIR LIVES

HAD TO HIDE WHAT THEY WERE

AND THEN BECAUSE OF THAT THEY HAD
TO DEVELOP A SECRET LANGUAGE

TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER.

AND I THINK THAT WAS PART

OF THE SENSIBILITY THAT
WAS OPERATING IN HOLLYWOOD.

MY JACKET.
IT'S WARM.

FOR INSTANCE,
"REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE"

- CAN I KEEP IT?
- WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOU KNOW, ANY OF THOSE FILMS
WHEN YOU THOUGHT

THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO
WITH MY LIFE

EVEN IF PM NOT SURE
WHAT IT IS YET.

EVEN BEFORE YOU KNEW THE
WORD FOR WHAT YOU WERE.

YOUNG LADY,
I'D LIKE TO ORDER A CAKE.

A BIRTHDAY CAKE.
CHOCOLATE, ALL CHOCOLATE.

I LOVE CHOCOLATE.

WOULD YOU LIKE A
LITTLE ROSE ON TOP?

NO, MAKE IT A PANSY.

Armistead Maupin:
THE CLOWN IN VITO'S CANON

WAS THE CHARACTER
WHO WAS THE HARMLESS SISSY

WHO HAD NO SEXUALITY
WHATSOEVER.

AHEM, JUST THE SAME TO YOU,

I'D RATHER REMAIN
ON THE SIDELINES.

CHARACTERS THAT
AREN'T THREATENING

BECAUSE THEY'RE FLUTTERY
FLIBBERTIGIBBETS.

IT'S A GORGEOUS GARMENT,
ISN'T IT?

OH, ISN'T IT GORGEOUS?

Reverend Boyd".
SISSIES WERE ALWAYS ON SCREEN.

INEVITABLY TO BE LAUGHED AT.

( Screaming )

SOPS, INEFFECTUAL.

NOT PEOPLE
TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

Bob Hawk".
THE IMAGES WERE SO STEREOTYPED,

SO SUPERFICIAL.

IT WAS LIKE
WATCHING CARTOONS.

(laughing evilly)

( laughing maniacally)

Russo".
AS HOMOSEXUAL CHARACTERS

WERE INTRODUCED INTO
AMERICAN MOTION PICTURES,

THEY EMERGED
AS ALIEN CREATURES,

AS THE MONSTERS.

AND SO THE DISCOVERY
OF A CREATURE

IN THE MIDST OF NORMAL SOCIETY

WAS A DEVICE THAT WAS USED
TO PORTRAY GAY CHARACTERS

AND IN FACT, IT'S PERFECTLY
ANALOGOUS TO A HORROR MOVIE.

WHY ARE YOU LOOKING
AT ME THAT WAY?

WON'T I DO?

YES, YOU'LL DO VERY
WELL INDEED.

Reverend Boyd".
IN THE YEARS OF REPRESSION,

THE PRESENTATION
OF SOMETHING GAY...

LOOK, YOU CAN SEE
MY HAND THROUGH IT.

TENDED ALWAYS TO BE SHADOWY.

- WHY, YOU CRAZY FOOL.
- DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT.

Earths:
GAY CHARACTERS BECAME DARKER,

AND YOU SEE GAY CHARACTERS
BEING USED FOR THEIR THREAT.

LET'S YOU AND ME
GET ACQUAINTED, HONEY.

YOU MAY BE A NUMBER
TO THE OTHERS BUT NOT TO ME.

SIT DOWN IN THIS CHAIR,
IT'S KINDA ROOMY.

Jenni Olson:
IT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY

THAT THEY WERE VILLAINS

AND AWFUL PEOPLE.

Friedman:
EVEN WHEN THEY WERE VILLAINS

THEY WERE THE ONES THAT YOU
SORT OF REMEMBERED

BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING
WEIRDLY TWISTED ABOUT THEM.

YOU'RE VERY FORTUNATE
TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN

FOR SUCH A SIMPLE,
DELIGHTFUL DUTY.

Maupin: AND IT WAS QUITE
COMMON TO SEE MOVIES

IN WHICH A GAY OR LESBIAN PERSON
WAS A PSYCHOPATH, KILLER.

WE'VE KILLED FOR
THE SAKE OF DANGER

AND FOR THE SAKE
OF KILLING.

SOMEHOW OR OTHER THAT MADE IT

OKAY TO COVER THE SUBJECT

AS LONG AS YOU WERE SHOWING THAT
IT WAS SOMETHING DEEPLY EVIL.

MRS. MORTAR SAID

THAT IT WAS UNNATURAL FOR
A WOMAN TO FEEL THAT WAY.

Vilanch: LATER ON, THEY
STARTED MAKING MOVIES

THAT ACTUALLY INVOLVED
GAY CHARACTERS

WHO ACTUALLY WERE HOMOSEXUAL

AND WERE SHOWN INTERACTING
WITH OTHER GAY PEOPLE.

THEN THE RULE WAS THAT lF YOU
WERE GAY, YOU WERE BAD,

OR IN SOME WAY UNDERMINING ALL
GOOD THINGS AMERICAN.

Colin MacGiver: THE THOUGHT
OF TURNING INVOLUNTARILY

INTO ONE OF THEM
FRIGHTENED ME

AND MADE ME SICK
WITH ANGER.

Rotello: THE TERRIBLE
THINGS, THE OPPRESSION,

WHICH IS SOMETHING
THAT GOT VITO SO PISSED OFF.

EVERY IMAGE OF GAY PEOPLE

WAS SOMEONE
WHO WAS TO BE PITIED

BECAUSE THEY WERE
SO TRAGIC.

THERE'S SOMETHING IN YOU

AND YOU DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT IT

BECAUSE YOU DON'T
KNOW IT'S THERE.

Russo". THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW
A GAY CHARACTER ON THE SCREEN,

I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

AND IT VVAS OTTO PREMINGER'S FILM
"ADVISE AND CONSENT" WITH DON MURRAY.

AND HE SLIT HIS THROAT
AT THE END.

AND I TOOK THAT HOME WITH ME.
I REALLY DID.

I SORT OF THOUGHT, "WELL,
IF YOU'RE GAY, THIS IS IT.

THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA
HAPPEN TO YOU."

( slams phone )

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

HE'S DEAD.

Russo". THERE WAS IN
THE 1960s AND '70s

WHEN THE CODE
WAS DISMANTLED,

A SORT OF CRUEL EDGE
WHICH EMERGED.

LOOK AT YOURSELF,
YOU PATHETIC OLD DYKE.

YOU DON'T SERIOUSLY IMAGINE

THAT YOU'RE ANY YOUNG GIRL'S
DREAM OF BLISS.

Russo". GAY CHARACTERS
BECAME EXPLICITLY GAY

AND THEY BECAME THREATENING AND
THEN THEY HAD TO BE PUNISHED.

( grunting )

AND WHAT YOU FIND
IN THOSE FILMS

IS A FEAR OF HOMOSEXUALITY.

I DON'T HAVE TO PROVE
NOTHING TO YOU.

YOU THINK I'M SOME KIND
OF FLAMING FAGGOT?

Russo". IT CREATED A "KILL
THEM OR CURE THEM" CLIMATE.

YOU SHOW ME
A HAPPY HOMOSEXUAL,

AND I'LL SHOW YOU
A GAY CORPSE.

Rotello: WELL, ANY MOVIE
THAT ACTUALLY DEALT WITH

THE SUBJECT OF HOMOSEXUALITY,

ALL OF THEM WERE TRAGIC.

YOU ALWAYS HAD TO DIE
IN THE END.

Thompson: WELL, A DEAD
HOMO IS A GOOD HOMO.

THERE'S NO POSSIBILITY

YOU COULD GO ON AND HAVE A
DECENT, SELF-RESPECTING LIFE.

Kantrowitz:
VITO ENDED HIS LECTURES

WITH A WHOLE STRING OF CLIPS

ABOUT WHAT BECAME OF THE
CHARACTERS HE HAD LOOKED AT.

( gunshot )

THE NUMBER OF DEATHS
WAS STAGGERING.

( Screaming )

KILL HER! KILL HER!

KILL HER! KILL HER!

Barrios: TO PUT IT ALL
IN THAT ONE PLACE

SHOWS HOW NEGATIVE
THE IMAGES HAD GOTTEN.

( Hisses )

Russo".
WHEN YOU TAKE A FILM LIKE THAT

AND YOU TYPIFY MILLIONS OF
LESBIANS AND GAY MEN WITH IT

SOMETHING IS WRONG.

YOU KNOW, AND lF EVERY HETEROSEXUAL
WHO EVER APPEARED ON SCREEN

COMMITTED SUICIDE
IN THE END OF THE FILM,

PEOPLE WOULD THINK
SOMETHING WAS WRONG, TOO.

- ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
- MM-HMM.

Epstein: THE EXPERIENCE OF
SEEING "THE CELLULOID CLOSET"

AS AN AUDIENCE
MEMBER WAS REVELATORY.

IF WE COULD JUST LEARN
NOT TO HATE OURSELVES...

QUITE SO VERY MUCH.

Berkowitz: IT WAS SO POWERFUL.
IT WAS SO LIFE-CHANGING.

I WAS JUST IN AWE.

Friedman: THE HISTORY ITSELF WAS
CAPTIVATING AND FASCINATING.

BUT I THINK IT WAS ALSO

THE FIRST REAL VISCERAL
UNDERSTANDING THAT I HAD

THAT THERE COULD BE SUCH
A THING AS A GAY COMMUNITY.

THAT GROUP IN THAT THEATER

FOCUSED ON
WHAT VITO WAS TALKING ABOUT

AND RESPONDING TO WHAT
HE WAS SAYING.

IT FELT LIKE COMMUNITY.

Thompson: THIS WONDERFUL
LECTURE WITH FILM CLIPS

BASICALLY BECAME THE BOOK,

BUT IT TOOK HIM A DECADE
FROM WHEN HE BEGAN.

INTERVIEWING, JUST COLLECTING THE
CLIPS, GATHERING THE INFORMATION.

PM SURE THAT HE HAD SOME REALLY LONELY
MOMENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

WHERE HE SAID,
"IS THIS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN?"

Antonellis: IT'S THE ONLY TIME
THAT I FOUND HIM ALMOST RUDE

BECAUSE HE WAS SO
INTO THAT BOOK

THAT YOU COULD HARDLY SPEAK
TO HIM WITHOUT HIM SAYING,

"HEY, YOU'RE INTERRUPTING THE THOUGHT!
YOU'RE INTERRUPTING THE THOUGHT!

Saslow: BECAUSE HE WAS
AN INDEPENDENT SCHOLAR,

HE HAD TO HAVE A DAY JOB.

THERE WEREN'T VERY MANY JOBS
IN THOSE DAYS

FOR PEOPLE WHO SAID,
"I'M DOING GAY CULTURAL WORK."

John Morgan Wilson: HE WAS
ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT MONEY.

HE WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO BUY
TIME TO WRITE THE BOOK,

AND HE WROTE REVIEWS
AND FILM ARTICLES,

BUT, FRANKLY,
THOSE NEVER PAID VERY MUCH.

Schiavi: VITO WAS
BEGINNING THE FIRST DRAFT

OF "THE CELLULOID CLOSET."

HE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO WORK
FULL-TIME ON THAT.

SO HE NEEDED A JOB THAT WOULD
ACCOMMODATE HIS HOURS.

AS A RESULT HE STARTED WORKING

AT THE COUNTER OF THE
ST. MARKS BATHS.

HE WOULD WORK ALL-NIGHT SHIFTS.

GENERALLY, HE WOULD BE THERE
FROM MIDNIGHT

UNTIL 7:00 OR 8500
IN THE MORNING.

Epstein: HE WAS LIVING HAND
TO MOUTH AT THAT POINT,

- SO WHEN HE SUBLET HIS APARTMENT,
- (trolley car bell rings )

VITO STARTED COMING
TO SAN FRANCISCO,

AND HE'D COME TO MY HOUSE
FOR A MONTH OR SO

AND THEN HE'D GO DOWN
TO LILY'S HOUSE.

Morgan Wilson: I REMEMBER HE WAS
STAYING AT LILY TOMLIN'S HOUSE.

VITO HAD BEEN THERE WORKING
ON HIS BOOK,

BUT THERE WAS NO FURNITURE
AND THERE WAS NO HEAT YET.

SHE HADN'T MOVED IN.

AND HE VVAS WORKING IN THE
KITCHEN, STANDING UP AT A COUNTER

AND HAD THE BURNERS

ON THE STOVE BURNING
TO KEEP WARM.

Tomlin: I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE I WASN'T
SURE THE HOUSE WAS WARM ENOUGH.

THERE WAS NO HEAT? IS THAT WHAT
HE SAID? THERE WAS NO HEAT.

AW, THAT'S SAD.

Rotello: HE THEN GOT REJECTED WHEN
HE WROTE THE FIRST MANUSCRIPT.

HE GOT REJECTED BY ABOUT
15 OR 20 PUBLISHERS.

BASICALLY EVERYBODY SAID NO.

WHO IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW,
TO WANT THIS BOOK?

Eric Marcus: VITO FACED
ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS

THAT MOST WRITERS FACE WHEN TRYING
TO GET ANY BOOK PUBLISHED--

IT'S RARE WHEN THEY SAY YES.

HE HAD THE SPECIAL PROBLEM OF
HAVING A BOOK ON A GAY SUBJECT.

AND LIKE A LOT OF AUTHORS,
HE TOOK IT PERSONALLY.

YOU KNOW, WE WERE TOLD THIS
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

I VVAS TOLD BY 18 PUBLISHERS THAT THERE
VVAS NO MARKET FOR "THE CELLULOID CLOSET."

AND THEY WERE ALL WRONG.

( Applause )

Schiavi: "THE CELLULOID CLOSET" VVAS
FINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER OF 1981

BY HARPER AND ROW.

AND IT WAS A
HUGE, POPULAR HIT.

( Camera clicks )

VITO WAS DELIGHTED THAT
WITHIN ITS FIRST MONTH

HARPER AND ROW WAS LISTING IT
AS ITS TOP SELLER.

FRIENDS WERE WRITING TO HIM,
CALLING HIM CONSTANTLY SAYING,

"I KEEP TRYING TO GO TO
BOOKSTORES IN NEW YORK,

AND THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
IT'S SOLD OUT."

( camera clicks )

Thompson: IT WAS A HIT, AN INSTANT
CLASSIC THE MINUTE IT CAME OUT.

I MEAN IT WAS THE BOOK
EVERYONE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR.

( Camera clicks )

Howard Rosenman: WHEN I FIRST
READ "THE CELLULOID CLOSET,”

I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA FAINT

BECAUSE IT WAS SO BRILLIANT
AND SO RIGHT ON.

I MEAN, NO ONE HAD EVER DONE
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

Olson: I READ "THE CELLULOID CLOSET"
AND IT JUST CHANGED MY LIFE.

THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SO
EMPOWERING TO FEEL LIKE

I COULD ACTUALLY COME OUT
IN RELATIONSHIP TO FILM.

Maupin: I SAW IN THAT BOOK SOMETHING
THAT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO ME

ABOUT MY OWN ATTITUDES
ABOUT MYSELF.

THAT RESIDUAL SELF-LOATHING

THAT A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE
CARRY WITH THEMSELVES

WAS FORMED TO A GREAT DEGREE,

ESPECIALLY lN THOSE DAYS lN THE
'50s AND 'SOS, BY THE MOVIES.

THE SCALES
FELL FROM MY EYES.

I SAW IT VERY, VERY CLEARLY
FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Man: OUR GUEST TONIGHT
IS VITO RUSSO.

AFTER THE BOOK VVAS PUBLISHED, HE
VVAS THE NAME FOR GAYS IN THE MOVIES.

THE QUESTION IS
IN MOST PARENTS' MINDS,

"WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT

MY CHILD FROM BECOMING
A HOMOSEXUAL."

AND THE ANSWER IS NOTHING.

AND SO, SEEING POSITIVE
GAY IMAGES ON THE SCREEN

CAN ONLY HELP.

HE SEEMED TO BE AT EVERY PLACE
THAT I COULD REMEMBER.

EVERY PARTY,

EVERY READING OF A GAY AUTHOR.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF
TODAY'S TURNOUT, VITO?

IT'S REAL GREAT.
IT'S BIGGER THAN LAST YEAR.

IT'S FABULOUS.

I REMEMBER VITO AS OUR
FIRST GAY CELEBRITY.

GOOD EVENING.

I'M VITO RUSSO, AND YOU
ARE WATCHING "OUR TIME,"

WHICH IS A BRAND-NEW IDEA
IN TELEVISION.

Rotello:
VITO WAS THE HOST

OF ONE OF THE VERY FIRST
GAY TELEVISION SHOWS.

YOU KNOVV, IF YOU HAD CABLE IN NEW
YORK, YOU COULD GET THAT SHOW.

HI.

DOES DRAG
MAKE YOU NERVOUS?

Marcia Pally:
PRIMITIVE TELEVISION.

WE HAD A WALL,
WE HAD A COUCH.

I THINK WE HAD A LIGHT BULB.

HEY, ARE YOU SICK AND TIRED

OF WATCHING THE GAY SON
ON "DYNASTY"

POP IN AND OUT OF THE CLOSET
LIKE A JACK-IN-THE-BOX?

Jay Bhukcher: THE SEGMENTS
RANGED FROM GOSSIP

TO OUTING.

WE TALKED ABOUT ALCOHOLISM.

VITO'S HOPE WAS TO COVER
THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

- HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE GAY
COMMUNITY TODAY? - WONDERFUL.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THE GAY STREET FAIR?

I FEEL WONDERFUL.
THEY ARE A WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

THEY ARE GOD'S CHILDREN.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THE GAY COMMUNITY TODAY?

GOD, I FEEL GREAT BEING GAY
AND BEING HERE.

Blotcher:
"OUR TIME" WAS A CHANCE

TO SETTLE THE SCORE

HE HAD DEPICTED IN
"THE CELLULOID CLOSET."

HERE WAS A SHOW WHERE THE
STARTING-OFF POINT WAS:

GAY IS GOOD,
NOW LET'S LEARN MORE.

- EXCUSE ME?
- YEAH?

- COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION?
- YOU FROM TELEVISION?

YEAH, WE'RE OUT
HERE TODAY

ASKING PEOPLE WHAT THEY
THINK OF GAY PEOPLE.

Bhukcher: WHEN HE ASKED LILY TOMLIN
TO DO A SEGMENT ON OUR SHOW,

SHE SAID YES.

NOBODY SAYS NO TO VITO.

THIS IS VITO RUSSO FOR "OUR
TIME" IN CLEVELAND, OHIO,

WHERE ONE OF THE MOST
INCREDIBLE AMBASSADOR

OF GOOD-WILL TOURS IN AMERICA
IS TAKING PLACE.

MRS. JUDITH BEASLEY
OF CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS.

Tomlin: I THINK I WAS PLAYING
IN CLEVELAND DOING A DA TE

AND MY CHARACTER MRS. BEASLEY
TOOK THE QUICHE OF PEACE

FROM THE STRAIGHT COMMUNITY
TO THE GAY COMMUNITY.

IS QUICHE A VERY POPULAR DISH
IN CALUMET CITY?

WELL, IT ISN'T. I'LL
TELL YOU QUITE TRUTHFULLY,

A LOT OF US IN CALUMET CITY
USED TO THINK THAT QUICHE

ACTUALLY CAUSED
HOMOSEXUALITY.

'COURSE IT DOESN'T.

Denise Romanello:
IT WAS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME.

I WAS SITTING THERE WITH MY
FATHER, MY MOTHER,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
VITO CAME ON.

THERE WAS JUST NOT A SOUND.

WE'RE ALL IN AWE

THAT SOMEBODY THAT WE KNEW
WAS ON TELEVISION.

FOR EVERYBODY AT
"OUR TIME," GOODNIGHT

- AND TUNE IN NEXT WEEK.
- GOOD NIGHT.

Ankonems: I PERSONALLY COULD
NOT BELIEVE EVERYWHERE HE WAS.

AUSTRALIA AND BERLIN AND
WHEREVER HE WAS GOING,

LECTURING TO PEOPLE
IN THESE SCHOOLS.

AND I COULD ONLY REMEMBER HIM BEING
THAT LITTLE BOY ON THE BICYCLE

OR TUGGING AT ME
TO GO TO A MOVIE.

Romanello:
HIS MOTHER WAS SO PROUD OF HIM.

HE REALLY ALWAYS HAD THE LOVE
AND ADMIRATION OF HIS MOM.

ABSOLUTELY ADORED HIM.

Charles:
MY MOM AND VITO,

THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH, LIKE,
ATTACHED AT THE HIP.

SHE WENT TO HIS GAY BARS
AND SHE WENT TO FIRE ISLAND.

SHE DID ALL THESE THINGS
WITH HIM.

THEY WERE MORE THAN
MOTHER AND SON,

THEY WERE REALLY
CLOSE FRIENDS.

Antonellis: SOMETIMES CHARLES
FELT LIKE VITO WAS AN ONLY CHILD

BECAUSE HE REALLY WAS TREATED LIKE
THIS FAVORITE SON WAS COMING.

AND VITO'S COMING TO THE HOUSE
VVAS ALWAYS A CELEBRATION.

Charles: THIS HOUSE BECAME
THE FAMILY PARTY HOUSE.

UNCLES AND AUNTS AND COUSINS,

EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY,
FROM MORNING TO NIGHT,

COOKING AND EATING AND LAUGHING AND
SINGING AND DANCING AND PARTYING.

AND, YOU KNOW, VITO WAS
INCLUDED WITH ALL HIS FRIENDS.

Ankonems: HE USED TO
BRING HIS FRIENDS HOME

TO SHOW US HOW MUCH HIS GAY
FAMILY LOVED HIM

AND HOW THEY SUPPORTED HIM.

Epstein:
VITO HAD INCREDIBLE FRIENDS.

HIS PERSONALITY DREW THIS REALLY
WIDE ARRAY OF PEOPLE TO HIM.

FROM THE MOST DOWNTOWN
TO THE MOST UPTOWN.

Kantrowitz: HE USED TO GIVE
PARTIES THAT INCLUDED EVERYBODY--

LESBIAN FEMINISTS
AND DRAG QUEENS AND LAWYERS...

AND EVERYBODY
ENJOYED THEMSELVES.

YOU KNOW, HE WAS SUCH A HOST
AND HAD SO MUCH PEP.

AND THEN HE WOULD SELL US ALL ON
THIS MOVIE WE ABSOLUTELY HAD TO SEE.

I HAVE NEVER MADE A PRACTICE
OF SLAPPING PEOPLE.

BUT I'M DANGEROUSLY CLOSE
TO SLAPPING YOU RIGHT NOW.

Epstein: THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE
GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

IN SAN FRANCISCO WAS PLAYING
AT THE CASTRO THEATRE WAS 1981.

VITO WAS THERE BECAUSE HE WAS
DOING "THE CELLULOID CLOSET"

AT THE FILM FESTIVAL AT THE
CASTRO FOR THE FIRST TIME.

VITO AND I WERE WALKING DOWN
CASTRO STREET

TO WATCH THE MARQUEE GO UP.

ON THE MARQUEE,
PUTTING UP THE LETTERS,

WAS THIS TALL, THIN,
BLUE-EYED, BLONDE GUY.

AND THAT WAS JEFFREY.

Russo".
I MET HIM THAT NIGHT.

THERE WAS A RECEPTION AND A PARTY
AFTER "THE CELLULOID CLOSET,”

AND I ASKED JEFF IF HE
WANTED TO GO TO THE PARTY

AND THE VERY FIRST THING HE
EVER SAID TO ME WAS,

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO THE PARTY.
I DON'T SOCIALIZE." (laughing)

AND I SAID,
"YOU DON'T SOCIALIZE?

WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?
YOU DON'T SOCIALIZE?

YOU DON'T GO OUT?
YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE?"

HE SAID, "NO I NEVER GO OUT.
I NEVER GO ANYPLACE."

F. Allen Sawyer: JEFFREY WAS THE
SWEETEST INDIVIDUAL IN THE WORLD,

BUT NOT EQUIPPED
TO BE OUT IN THE REAL WORLD.

EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM
FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM,

AND EVERYONE WHO FELL IN LOVE
WITH HIM WANTED TO PROTECT HIM.

I Lumpkin"
JEFFREY AND VITO MET,

IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT VITO WAS
TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH JEFFREY.

THERE WAS THIS VERY, VERY STRONG
ATTACHMENT FROM THE GET GO.

Russo". JEFFREY WAS A VERY UNUSUAL.
SPECIAL PERSON.

HE WASN'T LIKE
OTHER PEOPLE TO ME.

AND WE SHARED A CERTAIN LOVE
FOR MOVIES

THAT WAS PARTICULAR TO US
THAT NOBODY ELSE UNDERSTOOD.

- DO YOU LOVE ME? DO YOU?
- YES!

ONE TIME AT A PARTY
IN SAN FRANCISCO,

JEFFREY AND I WERE STANDING
IN THE KITCHEN

AND SPONTANEOUSLY WE DID A WHOLE
SCENE FROM "TWO FOR THE ROAD."

AND HE PLAYED AUDREY HEPBURN
AND I PLAYED ALBERT FINNEY.

- JOANNA!
- NO!

SOME GUEST WHO WE DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW LOOKED AS US AND HE SAID,

"I WAS GENUINELY MOVED BY THAT."
( laughs )

AND JEFFREY AND I JUST LOOKED
AT EACH OTHER, AND WE SMILED.

WE HAD THAT SCENE
DOWN PERFECT.

( Horns honking )

Epstein: THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN VITO AND JEFFREY

WAS SO INSTANTANEOUS

THAT SOON THEREAFTER
JEFFREY MOVED TO NEW YORK.

Russo". WHEN JEFFREY
FIRST MOVED TO NEW YORK,

WE WENT lN THE
VEGETABLE STORE ONE DAY,

AND THERE WAS GERALDINE PAGE.
AND HE WAS ASTONISHED.

AND I SAID, "DON'T BOTHER HER." AND HE
SAID, "OH, MY GOD, SHE'S MY FAVORITE."

AND I SAID,
"LEAVE HER ALONE."

AND SO EVENTUALLY I LEFT HIM
IN THE VEGETABLE STORE

'CAUSE HE WOULDN'T
LEAVE UNTIL SHE DID.

AND I WENT HOME AND HE CAME HOME AND
HE WALKED IN THE DOOR AND HE SAID,

"HONEY, IT TOOK HER 2O MINUTES TO
PICK OUT TWO TOMATOES AND A YAM."

HE ALWAYS LOVED THAT, THAT SHE
LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

Epstein:
I THINK WITH VITO AND JEFFREY,

IT WAS REALLY A CASE
OF OPPOSITES ATTRACT.

JEFFREY HAD A LOT OF INTERESTS
BUT DIDN'T HAVE A CAREER.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT VITO
COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

THAT SOMEBODY COULD BE SMART

AND HAVE INTERESTS
BUT NO AMBITION.

THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE GOING ON
WITH VITO AND JEFF

WERE REALLY THEIR DIFFERENT
PERSONALITIES.

VITO LOVED THE SPOTLIGHT.

VITO WAS VERY OUTGOING.

HE HAD PICKED AS HIS LOVER
SOMEBODY SHY

WHO DID NOT LIKE THE GLARE
OF THE SPOTLIGHT,

DID NOT LIKE OR UNDERSTAND
GAY POLITICS.

OH, IT MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS,
BUT THEN AGAIN, MOST THINGS DO.

Russo". WE HAD PROBLEMS
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

I MEAN, NOTHING WAS PERFECT
ABOUT THIS UNION, BELIEVE ME.

ONE OF WHICH WAS THAT JEFFREY
WAS A SAN FRANCISCO BOY,

AND I WAS A NEW YORK PERSON.

AND HE HATED NEW YORK SO MUCH.

HE USED TO SAY--
HE USED TO SAY,

"IT'S DIRTY. IT'S HOT.
IT'S CROWDED. IT'S NOISY.

HOW CAN YOU LIVE HERE?"

SO FOR FIVE YEARS, JEFFREY AND
I TRIED TO LIVE SOMEWHERE

WHERE WE COULD BE HAPPY,
AND WE NEVER STOPPED TRYING.

I THINK WE ALWAYS JUST UNDERSTOOD
THAT WE LOVED EACH OTHER.

( cheering )

Reporter. WHAT'S SPECIAL
ABOUT TODAY FOR YOU?

THE CIRCUS, CELEBRATION,
GOOD TIMES.

EVERYBODY ENJOYING THEMSELVES.

( Cheering )

Rotello:
WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO CARVE OUT

THESE ZONES OF SAFETY
FOR OURSELVES.

WE WERE NO LONGER BEING
ARRESTED AND HARASSED.

AND WE WERE NOW ABLE TO EXPLORE
OUR SEXUALITIES.

FOR MANY PEOPLE,
THAT WAS THE

BE-ALL AND END-ALL
OF GAY LIBERATION.

PEOPLE GOT WHAT THEY WANTED,

AND ONCE THAT HAPPENED,
POLITICAL ORGANIZING

REALLY TOOK A BACK SEAT
TO THE PARTYING.

YAY!

Sean Strub: I DON'T THINK THERE WAS
EVER A SENSE THAT WE WERE DONE,

BUT THERE WAS A SENSE THAT
IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT ERA.

PREPPY STYLE WAS COMING IN.

WE'RE ENTERING A MUCH
MORE CONSERVATIVE ERA.

I, RONALD REAGAN,
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

Berkowitz: ONCE REAGAN
WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT,

VITO FELT REALLY HOPELESS.

WHATEVER LITTLE PROGRESS WE
HAD MADE BEFORE 1980

WAS ABOUT TO BE UNDONE.

MANY GAY PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY GAY MEN,

ARE ABOUT TO VOTE REPUBLICAN
FOR RONALD REAGAN BECAUSE--

Crowd:
BOO!

BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT IT WILL PROTECT
SOME OF THEIR FINANCIAL INTERESTS

AND THEN AFTER THEY
FINISH VOTING FOR HIM,

HIS SUPREME COURT IS GONNA
TAKE AWAY THEIR RIGHTS.

Epstein: HE WAS MAKING
ALL THESE CONNECTIONS

TO WHAT WAS GOING ON
AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT.

THERE USED TO BE A TIME
IN THIS COUNTRY

WHEN PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED
FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN,

AND THAT ROLEX WATCHES AND PASTA
MACHINES WON'T SAVE THEM IN THE END.

( Iaughing, cheering )

Epstein:
PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHOCKED

THAT VITO WAS CONFRONTING
THE COMMUNITY

RATHER THAN AN
EXTERNAL CONFRONTATION,

BUT IT WAS NECESSARY.

Thompson: THEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE
SOMETHING BEGINNING TO HAPPEN.

I BEGAN TO INCREASINGLY HEAR

AND SOMETIMES OBSERVE

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FAMILIAR
FACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WHERE HAD THESE LOVELY
YOUNG MEN GONE?

( Seagulls cawing)

Russo". THERE WAS A GUY NAMED
NICK ROCK ON FIRE ISLAND

AND HIS LOVER AS A GUY
NAMED ENNO POERSCH.

NICK USED TO SHOW MOVIES
ON FIRE ISLAND.

HE WAS A DELIGHTFUL CHARACTER.

AND NICK WAS MY FRIEND AND
THEN SUDDENLY NICK GOT SICK...

AND GOT SICKER AND SICKER,

AND NOBODY COULD FIGURE OUT
WHAT IT WAS.

L REMEMBER ENNO TELLING
A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE,

"YOU KNOW NICK'S GONNA DIE
UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING.

HE'S JUST WASTING AWAY HERE, AND
NOBODY COULD FIGURE THiS OUT."

Maletta: THERE WAS A YOUNG
BOY WHO I WAS INVOLVED WITH

WHO WAS ABOUT 28.

HE WAS SHRIVELED UP
LIKE A PRUNE.

HE LOOKED LIKE HE
WAS 80 YEARS OLD.

HE WAS JUST A FIGMENT
OF WHAT HE WAS.

AND THIS WOMAN
CAME DOWN, SAID,

"I THINK HE'S GOT
THAT NEW DISEASE."

I SAID, "WHAT NEW DISEASE?"
AND SHE SAID, "GRID."

AT THAT TIME
IT WAS CALLED

"GAY RELATED
IMMUNE DEFICIENCY."

Rosenman: I FIRST HEARD
ABOUT GRID ON FIRE ISLAND.

THREE GUYS GOT THESE SPOTS
ON THEIR CHEST AND ARMS

CALLED KAPOSI SARCOMA.

SUDDENLY PEOPLE STARTED

BREAKING OUT INTO THESE SPOTS.

Vilanch: AND SUDDENLY
PEOPLE BEGAN GETTING

WHAT WAS CALLED
"THE GAY PNEUMONIA,"

AND NOBODY WAS QUITE SURE WHERE IT WAS
COMING FROM. WHAT 1T WAS COMING FROM.

ALL THEY KNEW IS IT WAS DEADLY.

PEOPLE WHO WERE MY AGE,
30 YEARS OLD,

WERE DROPPING DEAD.

Rosenman:
AND THE PARANOIA.

EVERYWHERE YOU WENT,
IT WAS SHEER HORROR

BECAUSE NOBODY
KNEW WHAT IT WAS.

PEOPLE WERE HYSTERICAL.

Felice Means". AND I REMEMBER AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, 1981,

WE WERE RECOUNTING
TO EACH OTHER

ALL THE CONNECTIONS OF ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SICK

AND HAD DIED OVER THE WINTER.

AND WE CONCLUDED
"THIS IS SEXUAL.

AND ALL OF US ARE HAVING
SEX WITH EACH OTHER."

Larry Kramer: THERE MUST
BE A MILLION GAY PEOPLE

IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA.

OF THE 350 SOME CASES,

WHY DO WE KNOW SO MANY
OF THE PEOPLE?

Russo". LARRY KRAMER TRIED
TO WARN THE COMMUNITY.

HE WAS THE ONE WHO WROTE THAT TURNING
POINT PIECE IN THE "NEW YORK NATIVE."

Kramer: THE FIRST ARTICLES THAT
I WROTE WERE VERY ALARMIST.

"THE FIRST ONE WAS CALLED
"1,112 AND COUNTING."

THIS WAS IN '82, I THINK,

OR MAYBE EARLY '83.

IF WE DON'T START PAYING ATTENTION
TO THIS, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE DEAD.

AND THAT SCARED A LOT OF PEOPLE
AND THAT'S GOOD,

BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE
GOT VERY ANGRY WITH ME.

AND THE PAPERS WERE FILLED WITH
VERY ANGRY LETTERS ABOUT ME.

YOU KNOW, "WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S CAUSING THIS.

WHY ARE YOU TELLING EVERYBODY
TO STOP FUCKING?"

Russo". VERY OFTEN I
THINK ABOUT PEOPLE

NOT CHANGING THEIR SEXUAL
HABITS, AND I DON'T BLAME THEM.

WE HAD TO FIGHT VERY HARD

IN ORDER TO ASSERT OUR RIGHT
TO BE FREELY SEXUAL.

AND THEN SUDDENLY,

WE WERE BEING TOLD THAT WHAT WE
WERE DOING WAS KILLING US.

SO I DIDN'T CHANGE
MY SEX HABITS

UNTIL I GOT SCARED--

UNTIL I WAS FRIGHTENED
INTO IT.

SO IT DIDN'T SINK INTO ME

UNTIL PEOPLE LITERALLY STARTED
DROPPING LIKE FLIES.

I MEAN LITERALLY DYING
IN FRONT OF ME,

AND I THOUGHT, "WAIT A MINUTE,
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?"

U.S. GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS
ANNOUNCED IN WASHINGTON TODAY

THEY HAVE ISOLATED A VIRUS
THEY BELIEVE CAUSES AIDS.

Friedman: ONCE IT BECAME CLEAR THAT H.I.
V. WAS VIRAL

AND WAS A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED
DISEASE, HE WAS VERY VOCAL.

THERE WAS A LOT OF
FEAR AND CONFUSION.

I'M VITO RUSSO AND
TONIGHT ON "OUR TIME"

WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING A LOOK
AT HOW THE GAY COMMUNITY

IS COPING WITH THE MOST SERIOUS
CRISIS IN ITS HISTORY.

Bhukcher: VITO DECIDED
WE NEEDED TO DEVOTE

AN ENTIRE SHOW
TO THE ISSUE.

REMEMBER THAT THIS DISEASE
IS NOT CAUSED BY GAYS.

IT'S NOT CAUSED BY BEING GAY.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING
AS GAY CANCER.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING
AS A GAY DISEASE.

THIS DISEASE
IS ATTACKING GAYS,

AND ONLY GAY PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO STOP IT.

Rosenman: MY FRIENDS WERE
DYING OF THIS BRUTAL DISEASE.

AND WHEN I SAY "BRUTAL,"

YOU CANNOT IMAGINE
THE HORROR

OF PEOPLE DYING SO QUICKLY
AND SO BRUTALLY AND SO FAST.

Strub: PEOPLE WERE DYING
WITH SUCH FREQUENCY.

ANY NUMBER OF TIMES

I COULD HAVE GONE TO
TWO MEMORIAL SERVICES

OR FUNERAL OR MEMORIAL
EVENTS IN ONE DAY.

Russo".
I REMEMBER THINKING

AT ONE POINT IN THE MID '80s,

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE."

THAT THIS IS NOT
JUST A DISEASE,

THIS IS A CATASTROPHE.

THAT AN ENTIRE GENERATION
OF PEOPLE

WAS GONNA GET THIS
AND DIE.

I MEAN, YOU SAY THAT TO PEOPLE AND
I DON'T THINK THAT TILL TODAY

OR EVEN NOW PEOPLE REALIZE
THE IMPACT OF THAT STATEMENT,

BUT IT IS HAPPENING.

HE WAS LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO
AND I WAS LIVING IN NEW YORK.

WE WERE STILL TRYING
TO WORK IT OUT.

JEFFREY USED TO CALL ME,

FOR WEEKS, AND SAY...

"THIS IS IN ME.
I KNOW IT."

AND I WOULD SAY,
"WILL YOU STOP IT?

LIKE, EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD
IS HAVING AIDS PANIC.

YOU'RE NOT SICK.
YOU'RE GONNA BE ALL RIGHT."

AND HE'D SAY,
"I JUST KNOW IT.

SOMEHOW, I KNOW THIS IS INSIDE
MY BODY," HE WOULD SAY.

AND NOW I FEEL SO AWFUL
ABOUT THIS.

I MEAN, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW
HOW SICK HE WAS.

Sawyer". WHEN JEFFREY CAME
BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO,

HE KEPT ON SAYING THAT HE KNEW

THAT THIS VIRUS
WAS INSIDE OF HIM.

WE TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL,
AND HE GOT HIS DIAGNOSIS.

Russo". WHEN I CAME TO THE
HOSPITAL, I WALKED INTO HIS FLOOR.

I SAW THE NURSE PUTTING UP
A SIGN NEXT TO THE DOOR

THAT SAID "BODILY FLUID
PRECAUTIONS," AND THEN I KNEW.

I MEAN THAT WAS THE
MOST HORRIFYING THING,

'CAUSE THEN I KNEW
WHAT THE RESULTS WERE.

AND I WALKED IN,

AND I REMEMBER HE
WAS SITTING IN THE BED,

AND HE SAID,
"HONEY DID YOU HEAR?"

YOU KNOW AND OF COURSE I HADN'T
HEARD BUT I HAD SEEN THE SIGN,

AND I KNEW AND I SAT ON THE BED AND
I HELD HIM AND I TALKED TO HIM

AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD COME TO
SAN FRANCISCO...

AND I WOULD STAY WITH HIM AND HE SAID,
"DO YOU REALLY VVANT TO DO THAT?

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT A COMMITMENT
YOU'RE MAKING?"

AND I SAID, "I'M COMING
TO SAN FRANCISCO

AND I'M GONNA STAY WITH YOU
AND IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT."

Epstein:
WHEN JEFFREY BECAME ILL,

VITO BECAME HIS CARETAKER.

REALLY HELPED JEFFREY
JUST TEND TO THE BASICS.

VITO WAS THERE TO REALLY

JUST GIVE JEFFREY
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.

Russo". I WAS LIVING WITH
JEFF AND HE WAS SICK,

AND I WAS WORKING AT THE AIDS
FOUNDATION ALL DAY DEALING WITH AIDS

AND THEN COMING HOME
AND TAKING CARE OF JEFF.

NINE MONTHS WE LIVED HERE,
AND THEN...

IN JUNE OF '85...

I NOTICED A SPOT ON MY LEG
AND I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KS.

Dr. Brewer: YOU KNOW,
VITO'S A TOTAL EXTROVERT.

HE'S THE MASTER
OF SOCIAL WORLD,

CELEBRITY WORLD.
THAT'S HIM.

WHEN VITO WAS FACED
WITH THE AIDS DIAGNOSIS...

HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

LT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES I'D
SEEN HIM JUST REALLY SHAKEN UP.

AND HE WAS REALLY SHAKEN UP.

Charles:
AT ONE OF THESE PARTIES

VITO AND I GOT AWAY
FROM EVERYBODY.

WE'RE WALKING UP THE STREET
AND HE SAID,

"THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS
AFFECTED A LOT OF MY FRIENDS,

AND IT'S A DEATH SENTENCE."

AND HE'S STARTING TO EXPERIENCE
A LOT OF THE SYMPTOMS.

AND I VVAS LIKE, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT? COME ON, YOU'RE HEALTHY.

YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR
UNCLES AND AUNTS,

EVERYBODY LIVED TO 90. YOU KNOVV, YOU
GOT LONGEVITY. YOU'RE GONNA BE FINE."

VITO KIND OF BLASTED ME.

"OKAY, HERE'S THE DEAL.
YOU'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS.

PM DYING, AND I NEED
YOU TO DO CERTAIN THINGS."

I THINK THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED
TO REALLY KIND OF CRYSTALLIZE

AND SAY, "OKAY, YOU KNOW,
HE'S REALLY SICK HERE."

HE WAS MY BROTHER AND I WAS
GONNA DO WHATEVER I HAD TO.

Antonellis: THE WORST DAY OF ALL WAS
WHEN HE ASKED ME TO ACCOMPANY HIM

TO TELL HIS MOTHER
THAT HE WAS ILL.

HIS MOTHER OPENED THE DOOR
AND HE EMBRACED HIS MOM,

AND HER FIRST WORDS WERE
"WHAT'S WRONG?"

lN ACTUALITY, IT'S BECAUSE IT WAS
PROBABLY ON HER MIND ALREADY.

SHE WAS ALREADY SAYING,
"GEE, VITO DOESN'T LOOK WELL.

HE LOOKS SICK TO ME."

SHE IMMEDIATELY SAID,
"VITO YOU HAVE TO COME HOME

'CAUSE I'M GONNA FEED YOU
AND MAKE YOU CHICKEN SOUP

AND I'M GONNA NURSE YOU
AND YOU HAVE TO BE HOME."

AND HE SAID, "MOM, I'D RATHER
DIE IN NEW YORK

THAN LIVE IN NEW JERSEY."

HE SAID, "I AM NEVER RETURNING
TO NEW JERSEY.

AS LONG AS THERE'S
STRENGTH IN ME,

I'M GONNA RUN AROUND THOSE
STREETS OF NEW YORK."

BUT THE NEXT DAY WHEN MY AUNT
CALLED, SHE SAID,

"I WONDER HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE
FOR THIS DISEASE TO KILL HIM'?

BECAUSE I DIED LAST NIGHT."

AND SHE SAID, "I DON'T WANT
TO LIVE TO SEE MY SON PASS."

Russo".
I WAS SICK BUT NOT SICK.

I MEAN, I HAD AIDS BUT I
WAS STABLE AND FAIRLY OKAY.

WORRIED AS HELL BUT
DOING PRETTY GOOD.

AND... l WAS ABOUT
TO GO TO AUSTRALIA

AND I WAS GONNA DO
"THE CELLULOID CLOSET."

I WENT TO SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE
FOR THREE WEEKS.

AND WHILE I WAS GONE,
JEFFREY GOT VERY SICK.

Jeffrey over
answering machine:

Russo". I DON'T KNOW WHAT
TO SAY ABOUT ANY OF IT.

I FEEL VERY WEARY OVER IT ALL.

ALL I CAN DO, AS FAR
AS JEFFREY GOES,

IS ACCEPT WHAT HAPPENED

AND TRY TO REMEMBER
THE GOOD TIMES.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL WHILE--
WHILE IT WAS GOOD.

WHILE, YOU KNOW, WHILE--
WHILE HE WAS WELL

AND... I DID MY BEST
WHILE HE WAS SICK

AND I FEEL SORT OF
STRANGE HAVING SURVIVED.

Friedman: AFTER JEFFREY DIED,
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DID IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISM WAS,

BUT VITO HAD AN
AMAZING CAPACITY

TO TAKE ANY KIND OF ADVERSITY

AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING
TO FUEL HIS PASSION

AND HIS ANGER
AND HIS ACTIVISM.

Russo". THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ACTIVIST.

I WAS A GAY ACTIVIST
20 YEARS AGO,

AND I'M AN AIDS ACTIVIST NOW.

I WAS ALWAYS GONNA
BE AN ACTIVIST.

I MEAN, IF IT WASN'T GAY RIGHTS
OR IF IT WASN'T...

IT WAS GONNA
BE SOMETHING ELSE.

BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST
TOO MANY THINGS WRONG.

Rosenman: AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH
THIS INTERNALLY IN THE GAY COMMUNITY,

THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM
THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY.

WHEN I SAY NO,
I MEAN NONE.

CLOSE YOUR EYES,
WHAT DO YOU SEE? NOTHING.

Lester Kinsolving: DOES THE
PRESIDENT HAVE ANY REACTION

TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT
THAT A-l-D-S

IS NOW AN EPIDEMIC?
OVER 600 CASES?

- I DON'T HAVE IT, ARE YOU...
- ( laughing )

Kinsolving: IN OTHER WORDS, THE WHITE
HOUSE LOOKS ON THIS AS A GREAT JOKE.

DOES THE PRESIDENT--

DOES ANYBODY lN THE WHITE HOUSE
KNOW ABOUT THIS EPIDEMIC. LARRY?

Speakes: NO. I DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT IT, LESTER.

Nancy Stoller: THE ATTITUDE
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

SEEMED TO BE PRETTY MUCH

"HANDS OFF. NO FUNDING."

THE DELAY IN FUNDING RESEARCH

HAS BEEN UNCONSCIONABLE

AND HAS RESULTED IN
LOSS OF LIVES.

OH, IT WAS AWFUL.

I MEAN, THEY MADE
NO BONES ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT
HAS GONE ON RECORD

AS BEING IRREVOCABLY AGAINST
ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOMOSEXUALITY.

Ronald Reagan: AS I'VE INTERPRETED
THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT,

IT IS NOT ASKING SO
MUCH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

AS IT IS ASKING FOR RECOGNITION
AND ACCEPTANCE OF THEM

AS HAVING AN ALTERNATIVE
LIFESTYLE,

AND I'M SORRY BUT
I CAN'T AGREE WITH THAT.

Stoller: REAGAN AND OTHER
PEOPLE IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,

THEY HAD A STRONG BASE
IN THE RIGHT WING IN THE U.S.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK

AS IF THEY WERE DOING ANYTHING
SPECIAL FOR GAY PEOPLE.

I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT THIS
SENATE ADDRESSED THE MORAL ISSUE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHO'S CAUSING THIS.

WHO CAUSED IT FROM
THE VERY BEGINNING?

Russo".
PEOPLE ARE DYING OF HOMOPHOBIA.

THEY'RE DYING OF JESSE HELMS.

THEY'RE DYING OF RONALD REAGAN.

THEY'RE NOT DYING BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIND
A TREATMENT OR A CURE TO THIS DISEASE.

WE'RE NOT TRYING.

AND WE'RE NOT TRYING BECAUSE
THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE NOT DYING.

WE'RE NOT TRYING BECAUSE
IT'S ONLY FAGS AND JUNKIES,

AND NOBODY GIVES A SHIT.

Jeffrey Sosnick:
AND IN NEW YORK AT THAT TIME,

"THE NEW YORK POST,” THEY KIND
OF CAUGHT ON TO THIS STORY

IN A WAY THAT WAS BOTH
HOMOPHOBIC AND AIDS-PHOBIC.

Michelangelo Signorile:
TO BE GAY IN THAT ENVIRONMENT,

TO BE A PERSON WITH HIV OR AIDS
IN THAT ENVIRONMENT,

PEOPLE AT THE TIME
REALLY FELT ATTACKED.

(chanting)
NO AIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

NO AIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

Russo". NEWSPAPERS LIKE
"THE NEW YORK POST"

RAISED ISSUES
IN THE WORST WAY,

TO CREATE FEAR
AND SUSPICION AND HATRED.

AIDS! GAY RELATED AIDS!

Rotello: BY THAT TIME, PEOPLE
WERE GETTING REALLY PISSED OFF.

"THIS HAS GOTTA STOP. WE NEED A
NEW GAY RIGHTS ORGANIZATION

THAT IS GOING TO
MONITOR THE MEDIA

FOR INSTANCES OF
BLATANT HOMOPHOBIA

AND THEN TARGET lT."

Sosnick: GLAAD WAS FOUNDED
IN THE FALL OF 1985,

AND VITO, HE WAS
ONE OF EIGHT FOUNDING MEMBERS.

THIS CITY IS BEING WHIPPED
INTO A FRENZY OF FEAR AND HATRED

BY A RAG CALLED
"THE NEW YORK POST,"

AND I WOULD LIKE
TO PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.

( Cheers )

Kantrowitz: OUR FIRST DEMONSTRATION
WAS AGAINST "THE NEW YORK POST."

VITO WAS THE MC OF THAT.

WE DECIDED TO SHOW THEM
THAT THEY WERE A RAG.

( Chanting )
FIGHT AIDS, NOT GAYS!

FIGHT AIDS! NOT GAYS!

Russo". AND WE'VE CHOSEN
“THE NEW YORK POST” BECAUSE,

IN THIS CITY ESPECIALLY,

IT REPRESENTS THE KIND OF

SENSATIONALISM
AND YELLOW JOURNALISM

THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING
FOR 15 YEARS.

Man: DON'T BUY THE LIES!
DON'T BUY THE LIES!

Rotello: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
WAS NOT ANYTHING ABOUT "THE POST,"

BUT RATHER WAS A NEW FORM
OF ACTIVISM.

DIRECT ACTION TARGETING
HOMOPHOBIA AND AIDS-PHOBIA.

BY THE MID 'BUS,

lT BECAME CLEAR TO VIRTUALLY
EVERYBODY IN THE GAY AND AIDS WORLD

THAT THE GOVERNMENT
AND THE DRUG COMPANIES

WERE NOT TAKING THE
EPIDEMIC SERIOUSLY.

THERE WAS NO SERIOUS
MOVEMENT TO DEVELOP DRUGS,

TO GET THEM INTO PEOPLE'S
BODIES, TO GET THEM TESTED.

TO SPEND THE MONEY
THAT WAS GONNA BE REQUIRED

TO BRING THE EPIDEMIC
UNDER CONTROL.

Signorile: FOR ME, IT WAS ABOUT
SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND ME

WHO WERE GETTING SICK,

PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING.

WE NEEDED TO NOW
TAKE CONTROL OURSELVES.

THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH.
WE ARE DYING.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO UNITE.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO BE ANGRY.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
PERCEIVED AS BEING A THREAT.

OUR VOTES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PERCEIVED
AS TAKING AWAY ELECTED OFFICIALS.

WE HAVE TO START BEING POWERFUL
OR WE ARE GOING TO DIE.

IT IS UP TO US.

Russo". ACT UP IS A
COALITION OF PEOPLE.

BLACK AND WHITE, MALE AND
FEMALE, GAY AND STRAIGHT.

lT WAS FOUNDED lN MARCH
OF '87 BY 12 PEOPLE,

MYSELF AND LARRY KRAMER

AND 10 OTHER PEOPLE
FROM THE COMMUNITY.

WE ARE DEDICATED TO PUTTING
AN END TO THE AIDS CRISIS

BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE.

( Chanting )
ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

WE'LL NEVER BE SILENT AGAIN!

- ACT UP!
- WE'LL NEVER BE SILENT AGAIN!

- ACT UP!
- WE'LL NEVER BE SILENT AGAIN!

HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT

NOT JUST FOR THE
STRAIGHT AND WHITE.

RELEASE THE DRUGS NOW!

Signorile:
ACT UP WAS AN INCREDIBLE FORCE

THAT SWEPT THROUGH
THE GAY COMMUNITY,

SWEPT THROUGH THE
AIDS COMMUNITY.

SWEPT THROUGH THIS COUNTRY.

(chanting) HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT!
HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT!

Russo".
THESE ARE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES,

FROM THE YOUNG TO THE
OLD WHO ARE ANGRY,

RESOURCEFUL,
WILLING TO PUT THEIR BODIES

AND THEIR PHILOSOPHIES
ON THE LINE.

WOMEN OF COLOR, THEY ARE NOT
GETTING PROPER HEALTH CARE.

AND ARE WILLING TO STICK THEIR
NECK OUT TO SAVE SOME LIVES.

SHAME! SHAME! SHAME...

(chanting) FUNDS FOR AIDS, NOT FOR WAR!
FUNDS FOR AIDS, NOT FOR WAR...

Man".
STOP KILLING US!

WE'RE NOT GONNA
TAKE IT ANYMORE!

YOU'RE KILLING US!

Rotello: ONE OF THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS

WAS AGAINST BURROUGHS
WELLCOME ON WALL STREET.

( chanting )
BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT!

BURROUGHS WELLCOME
MANUFACTURED AZT,

WHICH WAS THE ONLY
APPROVED DRUG.

AND IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE
FOR MOST PEOPLE TO AFFORD IT.

THESE DRUG COMPANIES
ARE PROFITEERING ON OUR LIVES.

( Bell ringing )

Rotello:
ACT UP UNVEILED A HUGE BANNER

THAT SAID, "SELL WELLCOME,”

MEANING, "SELL YOUR STOCK
IN BURROUGHS WELLCOME."

THAT IS NOT ANYTHING THAT
A DRUG COMPANY WANTS TO SEE.

AND GUESS WHAT?
THEY LOWERED THE PRICE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE COULD
SEE THINGS CAN BE CHANGED.

WE CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT
IN THE STREETS

AND DO SOMETHING
TO SAVE OURSELVES.

( Chanting )
ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

Stoller: AND VITO WAS RIGHT IN
THE MIDDLE FROM THE BEGINNING.

HE WAS PARTICIPATING.

IF THERE WERE
A DEMONSTRATION, HE WAS THERE.

NO VIOLENCE! NO VIOLENCE!

NO VIOLENCE! NO VIOLENCE...

Russo:
HANG IN THERE, CHARLIE!

Rosenman: VITO WAS ON ALL
THOSE ACT UP MARCHES.

VITO WAS
ROILING PEOPLE UP.

NONE OF US WHO ARE HERE TODAY
ARE GONNA GO AWAY.

NONE OF US WHO ARE HERE TODAY
ARE GONNA SHUT UP.

( Cheering )

Bhukcher: VITO WAS ONLY IN
HIS EARLY 40s AT THE TIME

BUT BY DEFAULT, HE HAD BECOME THE
ELDER STATESMAN OF THE COMMUNITY.

Signorile:
YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s

STARTED TO COME IN

AND HAD REALLY VERY
LITTLE HISTORY

OF WHAT WENT BEFORE.

AND SO ACT UP WAS REALLY

A HUGE EDUCATION
IN GAY ACTIVISM.

AND VITO WAS THE GUY
HANDING DOWN

A LOT OF THAT HISTORY.

LIVING WITH AIDS IS LIKE
LIVING THROUGH A WAR

WHICH IS HAPPENING ONLY
FOR THOSE PEOPLE

WHO HAPPEN TO BE
IN THE TRENCHES.

EVERY TIME A SHELL EXPLODES,
YOU LOOK AROUND

AND YOU DISCOVER THAT YOU'VE
LOST MORE OF YOUR FRIENDS.

BUT NOBODY ELSE NOTICES.

HE KNEW HE WAS ARTICULATE.

HE KNEW HE SPOKE PASSIONATELY,
THAT HE WAS PERSUASIVE.

AND HE HAD STATURE
IN A COMMUNITY.

VITO WAS SMART.
HE WAS EDUCATED.

HE WAS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. HE HAD AIDS.
HIS PARTNER HAD DIED

HE HAD CREDENTIALS.
PEOPLE LISTENED TO HIM.

Reporter. VITO RUSSO IS HERE. HE'S
A FILM CRITIC AND A HISTORIAN.

HE HAS HAD AIDS FOR
THREE AND A HALF YEARS.

ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT
THE GOVERNMENT IS MOVING TOO SLOWLY?

ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT
A SHADOW OF A DOUBT.

Kantrowitz: HE FOUGHT LIKE
A DEMON TO STAY ALIVE.

HE WAS SEEING HIMSELF
AS A SURVIVOR.

BUT I WOULD SOMETIMES COME
INTO THE HOUSE

AND FIND HIM CUDDLED
IN A BIG CHAIR

AND SAYING,
"I'M VERY AFRAID."

Kramer: HE WAS SICK AND HIS
ROLE WAS TO LET US SEE HIM...

SUFFERING AND HOW
VALIANT HE WAS.

HE WOULD COME AROUND AND
ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE LOVED

AND MADE A FUSS OVER

AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT
TO SEE THAT.

Stoller: HE WASN'T ABLE TO COME
TO THE MEETINGS ALL THE TIME

BUT WHENEVER HE CAME,
HE WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE,

"IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR ME
SOMETIMES TO DO THINGS,

BUT PM GONNA BE
AT THAT DEMONSTRATION.

AND IF I CAN BE AT
THAT DEMONSTRATION,

YOU BETTER BE AT THAT
DEMONSTRATION!"

Maupin:
VITO WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE

WHO JUST STOOD UP AND SAID,

"HERE I AM, LOOK AT ME.
I HAVE AIDS."

IT WAS ENORMOUSLY POWERFUL.

Dr. Howard Grossman: IN FACT
VITO HAD A NUMBER OF KS LESIONS.

AND HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON
THAT I EVER KNEW

WHO WORE SHORTS
IN THE SUMMER

IN CHELSEA WITH KS.

THAT WAS A REAL lN-YOUR-FACE
KIND OF THING TO DO.

HIS ATTITUDE WAS, "lF PEOPLE
CAN'T DEAL WITH IT, FUCK 'EM."

Russo". IF YOU BELIEVE
THAT THIS IS A VIRUS

WHICH ATTACKED A
GROUP OF PEOPLE

AND THAT IT'S
NO MORE SHAMEFUL

THAN HAVING ANY OTHER ILLNESS,
THEN YOU HAVE TO SAY SO.

IT'S THE SAME THING WITH COMING
OUT OF THE CLOSET AS GAY.

THE MORE PEOPLE WHO DO IT,
THE MORE UNDERSTANDING THERE IS,

THE MORE VISIBILITY THERE IS,

THE MORE PEOPLE BEGIN TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

( Chanting ) WHERE WAS THE FDA?
40,000 DEAD FROM AIDS.

MY LIFE HAS BECOME,
IN ANGER,

A LOT MORE SIMPLE.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHAT
I CARE ABOUT,

I KNOW WHAT I WANNA WORK ON,
I KNOW WHAT I WANNA DO,

AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY

SORT OF MESSING IT UP BY TAKING
ME AWAY FROM IT FOR TRIVIA.

(chanting) SEIZE CONTROL OF THE FDA!
52 WILL DIE TODAY!

Reporter. RONALD REAGAN WAS
HOISTED IN EFFIGY THIS MORNING

AS AIDS ACTIVISTS DESCENDED ON THE
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.

( chanting )
SEIZE THE FDA! SEIZE THE FDA!

Rotello:
THOUSANDS OF US CONVERGED,

SURROUNDED THE BUILDING,

AND ENGAGED IN
ONE OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE THEATRICAL
DEMONSTRATIONS IN HISTORY.

Signorile:
WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE

AND THERE WAS VITO, FRONT AND
CENTER, AS THE SPOKESPERSON.

I KNOW THAT IT TAKES NINE MONTHS

TO TEST A DRUG IN EUROPE--

IN BELGIUM, IN FRANCE,
IN GERMANY, IN ENGLAND--

FOR BOTH SAFETY AND EFFICACY.

I WANNA KNOW WHY IT TAKES

FIVE TO 10 YEARS
IN THIS COUNTRY

TO TEST DRUGS THAT YOU CAN TEST
IN EUROPE

IN A THIRD OF THE TIME.

WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING THE FDA

TO DO IT QUICKER.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO TEST
THESE DRUGS IN RECORD TIME.

( Cheering )

Friedman: THE PROTEST AT
THE FDA WAS A MEDIA EVENT.

IT WAS DONE TO GET
MEDIA ATTENTION.

AND AS PART OF THAT,
THEY ORGANIZED A RALLY

AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AT WHICH VITO AND
OTHER PEOPLE GAVE SPEECHES.

( Cheering )

Schiavi: BY THE TIME
HE GAVE THIS SPEECH,

HE WAS FIGHTING WITH ANEMIA.
HE WAS FIGHTING INSOMNIA.

HE WAS FIGHTING KS.

HE WAS IN DESPERATE
CIRCUMSTANCES.

Fours“:
HE WAS INCREDIBLY FRAIL

AND HE KNEW HE WAS DYING

BUT HE WAS NOT GOING
TO LET HIS ILLNESS,

HIS BEING FRAIL,
HIS BEING WEAK,

STOP HIM FROM SAYING
WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY.

AIDS IS A TEST
OF WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE.

( Applause )

AND WHEN FUTURE GENERATIONS
ASK WHAT WE DID IN THE WAR,

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO TELL THEM

THAT WE WERE OUT HERE FIGHTING.

( Cheering )

AND AFTER WE KICK THE SHIT
OUT OF THIS ILLNESS,

WE'RE ALL GONNA BE ALIVE TO KICK
THE SHIT OUT OF THIS SYSTEM

SO THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.

( Cheering )

Rotello: I THINK THAT A LOT
OF PEOPLE FROM THAT MOMENT ON

SAW VITO IN A DIFFERENT WAY
AFTER THAT SPEECH.

THE CHARISMA,
THE INTELLIGENCE,

THE WARMTH, THE WHOLE
THING-- HE HAD IT.

BUT JUST LIKE WITH EVERYTHING
ELSE WITH THE AIDS EPIDEMIC,

IT TOOK AWAY SO MANY
AND IT TOOK HIM AWAY, TOO.

Epstein:
HE WAS DIMINISHED IN ENERGY,

BUT HE WAS STILL DOING
EVERYTHING THAT HE DID.

HE WAS STILL
FULL-THROTTLE VITO.

Antonellis:
HE WAS IN TOUCH WITH SOCIALITES

AND PEOPLE KNOWING THAT HE
NEEDED CONTRIBUTIONS

TO AN AIDS CAUSE,

AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HE MET,

ENABLED HIM TO
FURTHER HIS CAUSE.

I'M BUSIER NOW THAN I'VE BEEN
m A LONG TIME ( laughs)

- Reporter: ( laughs ) THAT'S GREAT,
THAT'S GREAT. - WHICH IS GREAT.

Hawk:
I WAS INVOLVED WITH HIM

IN REHEARSING
"CELLULOID CLOSET?

I BELIEVE IT WAS THE LAST TIME
HE EVER DID THE SHOW LIVE.

WE REHEARSED IN THE AFTERNOON,

AND HE WAS GETTING
WEAKER AND WEAKER

UNTIL HE HAD TO STOP BEFORE WE
GOT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.

I THOUGHT, "OH, MY GOD,

IS HE GOING TO GET THROUGH lT?"

VITO WENT ONSTAGE

LIKE YOU WOULD NEVER
HAVE RECOGNIZED HIM

FROM THE VERY FRAIL, SICK
PERSON HE WAS THAT AFTERNOON.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MIRACULOUS
THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN.

( Clapping )

THANKS.

Charles: VITO WAS NOW STARTING
TO REALLY SHOW SIGNS.

THE KS WAS STARTING TO APPEAR
ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF HIS BODY.

Kantrowitz: VITO SAID HE
DIDN'T EVER WANT TO BE ALONE.

AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER
A CARE GROUP

OF ABOUT 16 PEOPLE.

PEOPLE TOOK SHIFTS

AND SAT WITH HIM
EVEN IF HE WAS SLEEPING.

Sawyer". I VISITED HIM ONE TIME
BEFORE HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.

HE TOLD ME THAT
IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME

SINCE ANYONE HAD TOUCHED HIM.

THAT HE JUST MISSED

THAT CONNECTION.

Russo".
I FEEL VERY WEARY OVER IT ALL.

I MEAN, I MISS
JEFFREY TERRIBLY.

I MISS HAVING HIM AROUND.
I MISS HIM BEING IN THE WORLD.

Kantrowitz: ONE LOVELY
MOMENT TOWARD THE END

WAS HIS LAST
GAY PRIDE MARCH.

WE TOOK HIM TO
LARRY KRAMER'S HOUSE.

HE HAD A BALCONY
OVERLOOKING 5th AVENUE.

( cheering )

VITO CAME OUT ON THE BALCONY

AND THE ACT UP CONTINGENT,

- WHICH WAS ACTUALLY SEVERAL BLOCKS LONG...
- Man: VITO!

THEY CAME OUT AND
STARTED YELLING,

"VITO! VITO! VITO!

WE LOVE YOU! WE LOVE YOU!
WE LOVE YOU!"

"VITO! VITO! VITO!"

- Crowd: VITO! VITO! VITO...
- AND HE VVAS JUST THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF.

VITO! VITO! VITO!

Kantrowitz: IT WAS SUCH A
MOVING MOMENT, YOU KNOW.

AND LARRY KRAMER SAID TO VITO,
"THOSE ARE OUR CHILDREN."

- Man: WE LOVE YOU, VITO!
- Man #2: WE LOVE YOU, VITO!

THAT'S THE KIND OF FEELING HE
INSPIRED IN PEOPLE,

AND HE WAS REALLY FADING
AT THAT POINT.

Epstein:
IN THE FINAL STAGES,

VITO WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.

HIS FAMILY WAS VERY INVOLVED,

AND VITO WAS ON THE
PHONE WITH HIS MOTHER DAILY.

HE HAD NO DOUBT
OF HER LOVE FOR HIM

AND HIS LOVE FOR HER.

I KNOW THAT THEY HAD

NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS
BETWEEN THEM.

Antonellis:
THE ROOM WAS DARK.

THE ONLY LIGHT WAS MOONLIGHT
FROM OUTSIDE.

AND YOU COULD HARDLY SEE

THAT THERE WAS A BODY
UNDER THE SHEETS.

THAT'S HOW DEVASTATING
THE DISEASE WAS TO HIS BODY.

HE TRIED TO ATTEMPT
TO SMILE,

AND I SAW HIS TEETH
IN THE MOONLIGHT.

AND I TOOK A CHAIR
AND PUT MY HEAD ON THE BED

AND I DIDN'T MAKE A SOUND

BUT IN A VERY BARELY AUDIBLE
VOICE HE SAID,

"DON'T CRY. I'M READY."

AND I SAID, "VITO,
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE."

AND HE SAID,
"I'M NOT AFRAID."

I NEVER SAW SUCH COURAGE
AND BRAVERY IN MY LIFE.

AND I SAID, "WHEN YOU GET
TO THE PEARLY GATES,

ST. PETER'S GONNA JUST ASK YOU
WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR MANKIND.

AND YOU'VE DONE MORE
THAN ANYBODY I KNOW."

THE NEXT DAY,
NOVEMBER 7th, HE PASSED.

I JUST MISS HIM SO MUCH.

Q music playing )