'Equal' Trailer: HBO Max Docuseries Highlights The Unsung Heroes Of The LGBTQ+ Rights Movement
HBO Max is churning out some quality documentaries and docuseries, the latest of which highlights the unsung heroes of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Equal, which comes from executive producers Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), is a new four-part docuseries that chronicles this unknown time in the LGBTQ+ movement through a mixture of archival footage and recreations from a star-studded cast that includes Samira Wiley, Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, and more. Watch the Equal trailer below.
Equal Trailer
HBO Max has released the official trailer for its upcoming docudrama series Equal, which "chronicles the dangerous twists and turns in the lives of LGBTQIA+ history's unsung heroes – the warriors, patriots, artists, thinkers, and organizers who preceded Stonewall, who spoke out when it mattered most, who built community through secret societies, and who fought against all odds in pursuit of that most underlining human quality: the desire to be yourself." The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 is often seen as the spark that lit the flame of resistance in the LGBTQ+ community, but Equal seeks to show what came before.
Narrated by Emmy winner Billy Porter, the series features a combination of archival footage and dramatic re-enactments of several important figures and historic moments during the LGBTQ+ rights movement in 20th century America. While re-enactments are often the cheesy stumbling block for many a solid documentary, Equal might be able to overcome that hurdle thanks to a stellar ensemble cast that includes Samira Wiley, Cheyenne Jackson, Anthony Rapp, Shannon Purser, Heather Matarazzo, Sarah Gilbert, Jamie Clayton, Isis King, and Gale Harold.
Here's the official synopsis for Equal:
EQUAL will introduce viewers to a wide range of LGBTQ+ visionaries portrayed by the cast, many of whom identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Each part offers a distinct and connected chapter within the historical timeline: part one, "The Birth of a Movement,"explores the rise of early organizations, The Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively; part two, "Transgender Pioneers," chronicles the 20th century trans experience, bookended by the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riots in San Francisco; part three, "Black is Beautiful, Gay is Good!" examines the contributions from the Black community on the growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement; and part four, "Stonewall: From Rebellion to Liberation," ties in the decades long struggles with the culminated Stonewall uprising – the beginning of the Pride movement.
You can check out the trailer below. All four episodes of Equal drop on HBO Max October 22, 2020.