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    The Sons of Tennessee Williams

    Reviewed by
    pietroantoni@

    This doc by Tim Wolf might be described as a devastating work if one sees it as a new voice in the history of gay rights. But the film was made in 2010 with gays, lesbians and trans people having gained a great deal in the course of five years. But a remembrance of things past is never a bad thing, especially when it concerns any minority of society.

    The Sons of Tennessee Williams offers a touch of grace rather than the usual, horrible show downs of the gay community with the authorities so prevalent from the 40's and 50's. The doc recounts stings and raids on gay establishments, gleefully publishing the names of the arestees. The degradation had gone on for an eternity and thus, in New Orleans, were born these SONS with their PRIVATE BALLS where one could be one's own person. Even the initial balls were raided. Society's shameful ways against a sexual minority then led to a demand and formation of all-gay Mardis Gras parades well before the 60's were upon us. With vintage photos and other historical material, Wolf captures the whole idea of these lavish parties and parades long before STONEWALL of 1961. Gradually, these events were gaining acceptance by even those in upper circles. This taste of public acceptance served as a welcome gift from the days of police raids, violence and bashing by brutal heterosexuals and the horrific idea of family rejection.

    The doc offers much more as it affirms both the good and bad since the days of Stonewall, taken by most as the birth of gay rights. The Aids pandemic throughout America and the world was an enormous blow to the movement, but as of 2010, the date of the doc, and all that has been gained in the last five years makes this documentary truly significant, much as the struggle of black folk to gain any acceptance even after emancipation. It shows a cruelty of man, unable to accept anything at all different from the norm though it makes no impact on society as a whole. It is a form of hate. Hate is ignorance. It will all endure as long as man has this fear and hate of what is not known or understood!

    "SONS" makes a worthy history lesson for all concerned, every corner of society. It opened my eyes more clearly to problems I knew had existed but not to the degree depicted herein, the frightening hell that must have been America for anyone different in any way. Why can we not accept one another as we are? It is a lesson I make sure my children understand all too well!

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    pietroantoni@  14.7.2015 age: 36-49 14,540 reviews

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