There has been controversy surrounding the new film, Stonewall, premiering today in America movie houses, since the first trailer was released. Mostly trans advocates cried out that the film “whitewashes” a seminal event in LGBTQ history. And by whitewashing, I mean that the film was accused of hiding the importance of queer persons of color and other “undesirables” such as sex workers, street kids and drag queens. I’ve already written a post about it.

For the most part, I have advocated not judging the full film based on a single trailer, and I bought into the idea that the history of exactly what happened and who did what at Stonewall, is debated by even those who were active in the NYC queer scene at that time. I still think both of these are valid points, but my position on the film totally changed, when it came to light that the director Emmerich, used a white “straight acting” lead character intentionally because he felt it would be needed if the film was to have mass appeal. In other words, straight audiences need to be able to identify with a straight acting white male for him to make big bucks on this film.

I’ve been embarrassed all week, that I had wanted to give the film the benefit of the doubt, because supporting such a venture and the perpetuation of anything straight acting, goes against everything I believe is important for the advancement of LGBTQ Rights. From my perspective, Emmerich is as dangerous to real progress for the LGBTQ community as the various hate groups that seek to keep full equality from us. If that sounds harsh, then I’ve made my point. I mean it to be harsh. That’s how important I think this is.

There are three reasons I find Emmerich’s effort and film so revolting:

1. The single most important thing we can do to progress LGBTQ Rights is to tell real stories about real LGBTQ persons. The more real stories are told, the more the general population learn about LGBTQ people. Forcing a fabricated fictional story onto one of the most significant events for the LGBTQ community, perpetuates stereotypes.
2. While some queers blended into the mainstream more than others back in 1969, the term “straight acting” came into being years and years later. Indeed, we are talking about an event at the Stonewall, which was a place where the seediest and most fringe of the queer community gathered. It is anachronistic and revisionist history to place a straight acting male there.
3. The director’s belief that mainstream audiences have to have a white male straight acting character to empathize with, is revolting. This grows from the director’s own internalized homophobia and male privilege. Rewarding his privilege is a step in the wrong direction.

At some point, the LGBTQ movement has to stop being ashamed of ourselves and stop thinking we will only gain acceptance if we are like straight people. Sure, there are ways, we are like straight people, but the somersaults (and assaults) caused by trying to be acceptable do damage to our community and rob our community of real respect.