40th Anniversary of Stonewall

June 2009

Narration: Michael Billy

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In this special one-hour Pride episode, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall, and look at the history of our ongoing struggle for civil rights and true equality. We explore the rise and fall of independent queer press, and the experience of today's homeless LGBT youth. Larry Kramer stresses the importance of teaching LGBT history, and we meet Gilbert Baker, the creative soul who gave us the most recognized symbol of our movement, the Rainbow Flag.

See other episodes in the 17th Season

The State of the Movement

Our first story explores how our movement has developed in the forty years since police raided the Stonewall Inn. What exactly happened that night in New York City's Greenwich Village has been hotly debated, but the protests and demonstrations that erupted on June 28th, 1969 provided a clear call to action that resonates today.

The Written Word

From early independent newsletters, to today's magazines and blogs, the power of the written word connects LGBT people in communities across the country. We meet some of the early, and modern, pioneers of queer communications, to learn how we connected in the past, and are connecting today.

A Conversation With... Lady Bunny and Larry Kramer

Author and activist Larry Kramer, who helped found Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP, sits down with entertainer and Wigstock founder Lady Bunny. With Bunny's humor and Larry's anger they speak their minds about gays in the White House, the state of activism, and the importance of teaching LGBT history to future generations.

Youth Now

Forty years after Stonewall, the average age for coming out has dropped significantly. In response, LGBT youth service providers have arisen throughout the country. Yet, as these same providers will tell you, these are the best and the worst of times for our young people.

The Gay Betsy Ross

Gilbert Baker is truly an unsung hero of the LGBT movement. In 1978, he created the universally recognized Rainbow Flag, a rallying symbol, which became a bold declaration of pride for our community. In this inspiring piece, the tireless Mr. Baker puts down his needle and thread for a moment to share how he came to create this emblem of our movement.