Smithsonian Affiliate Calendar

Beyond Stonewall Screening

Beyond Stonewall moves beyond the Stonewall riots of 1969, often celebrated as the birth of modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, to trace the struggles and triumphs of modern gay life. Using commentary from LGBTQ+ allies, icons and expert perspectives from Smithsonian curators, this film tells the story of the LGBTQ+ community via rare artifacts in the Smithsonian collections. The documentary illustrates the multifaceted journeys of trailblazing gay pioneers in the objects they left behind, including 19th-century stage actress Charlotte Cushman's Cardinal Wolsey costume; a first edition copy of poet Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass; love letters among WWII soldiers, and more. The documentary features commentary from LGBTQ+ icons like Matthew Shepard's parents, Stonewall eyewitness participant Mark Segal, and Gene Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be consecrated a bishop by the Episcopal Church.