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Esther Newton Made Me Gay

Esther Newton Made Me Gay

  • Overview
  • Cast
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Mar 17, 2022

Runtime

1h 32m

Genres

Documentary

User Score

10%

Original Title

Esther Newton Made Me Gay

Production Companies

Konsonant, Chroma Center, Cresting Moon Productions, The Film Collaborative, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

Director

Jean Carlomusto

Description

Esther Newton was drawn to the drag scene as a student in the 1950s. Identifying as both butch lesbian and between genders, she felt a kinship with the queens; what the feminine clothing society expected her to wear felt like a form of drag. Her 1972 book ‘Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America’ is noted as the first rigorous study of its kind. Now entering her sixth decade writing about queer communities, Newton exudes wisdom and a healthy dose of New York no-nonsense. The film’s amazing archive footage encompasses gay liberation, the feminist sex wars, AIDS activism and life on the safe haven of Fire Island. Her other main passion is dog training, so this illuminating history lesson is peppered with poodles!