California Documentary Project
Behind the Velvet Curtain: The Hidden History of the U.S. Supreme Court and Gay Rights
Film Arts Foundation
Project Director: Beth Pielert
The Supreme Court and Gay Rights
“Birth of a Movement” is the first episode of a six-part account of how the highest court in the land has struggled with the contentious issue of human rights for gays and lesbians.
The episode focuses on two groundbreaking cases involving homosexual rights, both of which originated in Los Angeles. One involved the first amendment rights of a gay magazine to write about homosexuality, and the other police brutality.
“‘Birth of a Movement’ chronicles the emergence of a hidden minority and the beginnings of a major American social and political movement,” said Project Director Beth Pielert, a producer, director, cinematographer and editor specializing in social justice documentary film. “It is a uniquely California chapter in our history, not only relevant to gays and lesbians but to all Americans as our society continues to come to terms with demands for gay equality.”