Last American Gay Bar (The)
- Director: Kristian Day
- Producer: Cole Needham
CGiii Comment
Histories that matter!
Once upon a time, 'coming out' was an act of activism, an act of defiance, an act of truth and self-worth. It was a dangerous thing to do.
The freedoms that are taken for granted were fought for over many, many years. The fighters who survived - against all the odds - are older and fewer now. Their numbers decline with each changing year...but, their stories grow and are told by worthy projects such as this.
Listen, admire and respect.
Watch...
The(ir) Blurb...
A six episode limited series about the fall of gay bars and the loss of identity. As acceptance of LGBTQ+ has grown, the role that gay bars have played in the culture has diminished. Does the community still need these safe havens in order to survive?
Episode One
As three gay men come of age and explore their sexuality in 1960s Iowa, the United States goes to war with Vietnam. The young men enlist or are drafted, forced to live in the closet as they face their own mortality. The Stonewall Riots bring gay rights into mainstream conversation, and the men come home to a changed nation.
Episode Two
The war is over and Stonewall has changed the gay community forever, but most gay Iowans are still living in the closet. Cruising and elicit hookups are the only ways LGBTQ+ people can meet – and adult bookstores and gay bars are the only places they feel safe being themselves. But a gruesome murder threatens to change all that.
Episode Three
Iowa’s LGBTQ+ community experiences violence, making safe spaces like gay bars even more important. Bob “Mongo” Eikleberry opens The Blazing Saddle, which quickly becomes a haven and an institution in Des Moines. With Reagan-era morals keeping gay men in the shadows, a new “gay cancer” brings even more negative attention to the community.
Cast & Characters
Greg Chamberlin (as Self (unknown episodes))
Brian Ohrberg (as Self (unknown episodes))
Gary Moore (as Self (unknown episodes))
Ryan Dennis (as Self (unknown episodes))
Bryan Smith (as Self (unknown episodes))
Robert Eikleberry (as Self (unknown episodes))
John Schmacker (as Self (unknown episodes))
Rick Miller (as Self (unknown episodes))