For most of the past century, images of gays and lesbians in American culture were limited, stereotypical and among the most taboo subjects. Today, queer images are everywhere and Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema explores how we got here. This documentary charts the emergence of gay and lesbian cinema from the experimental films of the 40s and 50s to the AIDS themed films of the 80s, to the “New Queer Cinema” in the 90s, and the cutting-edge filmmakers of today.

The story of gay and lesbian cinema is closely related to the world surrounding it. During the post-war period of 1940s America there was a black out of queer representation in the mainstream; to put it simply, it was forbidden. There was no gay/lesbian cinema because there was no recognised audience. This lack of entertainment caused a gender split among gay and lesbians; boys began buying physique films that emphasized the male body and girls were buying gritty pulp novels. Fantasies were being fed, but there was still no clear identity to which one could relate. It was not until a 17-year-old boy, Kenneth Anger, fulfilled his own fantasy in his bedroom by making the film Fireworks, that queer cinema was born.

During the 1960s, Congress began to condemn the porn industry – but there were also many smaller films that were taking the brunt of the retribution. The government was labelling homoerotic films “threatening” due to “inappropriate body parts next to other inappropriate body parts.” Not only were these films banned from public showing, but also audience members could be arrested for watching such films.

While the government continued to ban “inappropriate” films, the audience for gay and lesbian cinema was beginning to grow. People would drive for miles to small art houses that showcased gay film. Americans were able to turn to European Cinema which was much more accepting of both gay and hetero sex. Euro cinema challenged the homophobic American culture through a gay lens.

The government’s continuous denouncement and censorship of a queer lifestyle was met with strong resistance in the summer of 1969.  The Stonewall Rebellion created a climate for “forbidden” stories to be told. It was the first movement to actually galvanise gay and lesbian activists across the country into a new way of thinking. It was about visibility and standing out – not sneaking around or hiding in the shadows.  Stonewall had a huge impact not only for gay and lesbian rights but also for the way in which film could document the movement.

Drag queens were also edging their way into American pop culture. Drag queens were accepted at first because they were thought of as entertainment – throughout history some of the greatest comedians would dress in drag to get laughs; but in reality true drag queens were making a powerful political statement. The Rocky Horror Picture Show played a pivotal role in conveying a powerful political message, but it was also a fun film that gay friends could bring their straight friends to see.

Throughout the 70s and 80s, the gay movement was gaining acceptance and Hollywood attempted to tap into the movement’s success with films like Personal Best and Making Love. But in the 80s, the entertainment business shifted its focus onto video. Now queer films that were never shown in theatres could be seen in homes all over the country. Even the cover art for queer films was groundbreaking – two men or two women together was intriguing. There was a hunger to see queer images and a hope to broaden the boundaries of the community and encourage public acceptance of the gay lifestyle.

The AIDS epidemic had an everlasting affect on the gay community. The epidemic motivated people who usually weren’t political to jump into the arena and have a voice. The disease invigorated gay and lesbian artists and activists to make a difference and pushed them to create work that challenged the government and questioned those charge.

During the 90s, there was a huge transformation in queer filmmaking. It was a historic moment, and every film seemed to tell the story of an entire generation. Queer cinema had finally made its way into mainstream Hollywood. The sentiment of the 80s and 90s was anger against the governments that let them down, but with Hollywood now backing the artists, filmmakers were able to make a stronger political impact.

Gay film festivals also played a huge part in strengthening the queer cinema community. Festivals were like the new bar scene, people were coming together around queer culture. San Francisco Film Festival is the oldest and largest festival, but there are also gay festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Berlin.

Queer cinema and the perception and acceptance of queer cinema changed tremendously over the past 20 years. Tom Hanks won an academy award for playing a gay man in Philadelphia, Hilary Swank won an Oscar for Boys Don’t Cry, as well as Charlize Theron for Monster, while Will & Grace and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy became some of the most popular shows on television. It’s inevitable that all shades of gay and lesbian culture will shine through because media is everywhere and exposes so much to so many different people.