This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Much like the national Pride movement was sparked by the 1969 police incursion at the Stonewall Inn in New York, the Southern demand for queer rights was galvanized when Atlanta police raided a screening of Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys” at the Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema on Aug. 5, 1969. The theater’s manager was arrested, and the film was confiscated. And a movement — which continues to this day — began in opposition.
Now, on Friday and Saturday, Atlanta Pride and Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ film festival, have joined forces to present a two-day summit at Agnes Scott College. The event, Reel Resistance: How the “Lonesome Cowboys” Raid Sparked the Southern Queer Rights Movement, kicks off with a screening of Warhol’s film, followed by a discussion with longtime Atlanta activist Abby Drue, who was attending the film on the night of the police raid.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Abby Drue
Credit: Photo courtesy of Abby Drue
“Abby is literal living history and has been involved with pretty much every significant queer organization in our city and state at some point,” said Steven Igarashi-Ball, Atlanta Pride’s director of communications and community engagement. “She knows everybody and continues to be really active in the community. I’m excited for people to get to hear the reflections of somebody who was actually at the event.”
The rest of the summit on Saturday will explore the long-term impact of the raid, including discussions with historians Martin Padgett and Wes Nimmo, artist Taylor Alxndr and activists Vandy Beth Glenn and Mark S. King, among others.
This year’s Atlanta Pride theme, “Rooted in Resistance,” inspired the event, Igarashi-Ball said.
“This year is the 55th anniversary for Atlanta Pride,” he said. “So we, as part of our current strategic plan, vow to do a better job of preserving our history, not only as an organization but our queer community history in general.”
Recently, Igarashi-Ball said organizers watched “Lonesome Cowboys” — a Western based on “Romeo and Juliet” — for the first time to prepare themselves for what they’d be showing an audience.
“Wow, there’s a lot to unpack in the film,” he said. “In a lot of ways, it does not age well. But it’s an important time capsule. It’s especially important given the social context of what it means for our city and our community.”
In a statement, Out on Film Director Jim Farmer said, “What excites me most is the chance to bring generations together, with those who lived this history and those who are just beginning to shape their own. We’re using the power of cinema to ignite conversations and build connections across generations.”
Out on Film is using the event to launch the Reel Resistance Short Film Fellowship, a six-month program designed to empower up to five LGBTQ+ filmmakers across Georgia to create narrative and documentary shorts about what shaped queer life in the South. The program offers mentorship, production stipends of $3,000 and a screening of the finished product.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Ava Davis
Credit: Photo courtesy of Ava Davis
Filmmaker Ava Davis, an Out on Film board member, said movies about the queer experience have always brought the community together, from “Lonesome Cowboys” to more modern fare.
“The power of a movie is its close-up,” Davis said. “It goes in straight in on a person, shows their emotion and magnifies it on the screen. It connects with audiences instantly. We’re able to see so much emotion just with that close-up. So you’re able to tell the emotional component of a movement. You’re able to see how it affects lives. Even if it is just a subset of the community, you’re seeing something that you would not be able to be privy to or witness to in any other form or fashion.
“That’s why it’s also doubly important that these stories are being told by the community that they’re about, so that when we’re experiencing those emotions and hearing those narratives, it’s coming authentically from that community.”
IF YOU GO
Reel Resistance: How the “Lonesome Cowboys” Raid Sparked the Southern Queer Rights Movement
Screening of Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys” at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by the firsthand experience of Atlanta activist Abby Drue and a reception. The community summit takes place 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The day begins with Martin Padgett and Drue discussing the fallout from the raid and the history of activism that followed. The afternoon will offer six breakout sessions on the role of politics, social media, drag, film and more. $30-$75. Dana Fine Arts Building, Agnes Scott College, 137 S. McDonough St., Decatur. outonfilm.org.
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Benjamin Carr is an ArtsATL editor-at-large who has contributed to the publication since 2019 and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Atlanta Press Club and the Horror Writers Association. His writing has been featured in podcasts for iHeartMedia, onstage as part of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival and online in the Guardian. His debut novel, “Impacted,” was published by the Story Plant.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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