Out on Television: révolution arc-en-ciel

The journey from a homophobic world to a tolerant society, though sadly only in parts of it so far, is told by those who lived through it and people who are now enjoying its fruits. Expect hours of head-shaking, eye-rolling and eyebrow-raising at the totally berserk bigotry, hysteria and inanity of our very recent ancestors.

I mostly went into this docuseries as an excuse to test the new Apple TV + service that comes with new apple devices, and I was presently surprised by this feature. One of the best ways to distill modern American culture is through Television, and this docuseries creates an excellent timeline of American perceptions of the LGBTQ community through specific television examples.

I feel like the documentary is so thorough and covers nearly all facets of the LGBT community that I can hardly think of any examples it excluded. It honestly might be a bit too thorough, with some points feeling reiterated too much, but I am glad that such a thorough analysis of LGBTQ culture exists.

The series excels at pointing out how much the LGBTQ movement changed so rapidly in the last 50 years. The depictions of are a stark contrast to media today and it exemplifies how far the movement has gone. It's telling that even in the last 20 years that being LGBTQ was still relatively taboo in media (and in some instances still is). The series also does an excellent job juxtaposing television media with historical events such as the election and assassination of Harvey Milk and the Stonewall Riots.

Overall, a great docuseries if you are interested in LGBTQ history. It admittedly can seem a bit too long, so I doubt this will interest anyone with a passing interest in the LGBTQ community and I highly doubt this will change a person's opinion about LGBTQ rights / issues. But as series about appreciation for LGBTQ history, I think it does an excellent job.

I just finished this mini series and during each episode, at some point, I had tears in my eyes. Either of joy or sorrow. I am not a member of the LGBTQ community, I am not an American, so I didn't know most of it. But I am so so glad that I live in these times when everybody can be whomever they want to be, where everybody is free to love whom they want to love. It deeply saddened me to see and hear how difficult it was for them, how hard it still is, how easy society breaks individuals and how we don't care about the pain we cause. I really hope Visible gets to be seen by a lot of people, it's easier to accept when one understands. <3

I have to say that this has to be the best documentary about this subject that I've ever watched. It was totally engrossing and informative. The number of talking heads, who know the subject intimately, give us no-holds-barred stories of their own lives and the lives of those they are familiar with. Every aspect of being a part of television's history, from invisibility or made fun of to acceptance and celebrated is included. Every genre, including the news is included. It is an unforgettable series that should open hearts and minds. Two thumbs as high up as one can go for this one.

I think everyone should watch this mini series. It shows that growth sometimes takes time but thankfully, through the sacrifices and determination of so many, growth is possible. Thank you for sharing your stories.