Equal

The Birth of a Movement (1x1)

Air date: Oct 22, 2020

Out of the 1950s’ repressive shadows, the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis emerge. Founded in Los Angeles by Harry Hay, Mattachine is galvanized by Hay’s gay rights manifesto “The Call”—and by the arrest and trial of member Dale Jennings. Meanwhile, tired of lesbian bars constantly being raided by police, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon create the Daughters of Bilitis as a support system for their San Francisco sisters. As these two groups shift from secret societies to national organizations demanding political and social change, they pave the way for a new generation of activists.