Stonewall is an American-produced movie that retells the events of the infamous Stonewall Riots – a major event in the LGBT community and in history. It was just a few short weeks ago that America announced its legalisation of same-sex marriage in every state, and with the prospect of a mainstream LGBT film coming to screens, the community should have had a lot to look forward to. However, upon the release of the Stonewall trailer last Tuesday, a prominent issue soon became clear that stirred up anger within the viewers.
The film follows a fictional character named Danny Winters – and he’s everything mainstream media wants from a protagonist: white, male and Hollywood handsome.
The real activists (now widely regarded as LGBT+ icons and heroes) that were involved with Stonewall are nowhere to be seen. This includes Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (a black trans woman), Stormé DeLarverie (a lesbian woman of mixed race heritage), Sylvia Rivera (a teen Puerto Rican drag queen), and Marsha P. Johnson (a black trans woman). These ladies were the first to fight back against police in the name of LGBT+ liberation and were punished harshly in return, though their acts of bravery remain inspirational to this day. A GSAnetwork “Boycott Stonewall” petition has already begun online in retaliation to these women being replaced by Danny Winters, and it is quickly climbing towards 20,000 signatures.
Though the director Roland Emmerich has issued a statement via Facebook to combat the accusations of erasure, he has not directly addressed or explained the absence of these historical figures. Jeremy Irvine (playing Danny Winters) has similarly spoken out, assuring those concerned that the film is racially diverse and includes a trans actress “throwing the first brick”. Although there has of yet been no indication that cinemas will pull the movie from their screening schedule due to controversy, the LGBT+ community are standing strong in their mission to combat and discredit this white-washed retelling of history.
Words by Charlie Ginger Jones.