Esther Newton Made Me Gay
92 mins
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!
Jen Hobbs
Co-Producer
Rachel Ambelang
Additional Editing
Cody Reinaldo
Colorist
Carly Richman
Post Production Producer
Olivia Streisand
Archival Footage Coordinator
Alex Rappoport
Director of Photography
Laurie Arbeiter
Co-Producer
David Sampliner
Director of Photography
Richard Miron
Co-Editor
Shanti Avirgan
Producer