LGBTQ: The Journey to Equality

written by

Team Watertables

 
FADE IN:

EXT. UTEP CAMPUS - DAY

Multiple shots of the university.
YOUNG MAN (V.O)
I've been in a relationship its
been for about... three months.
YOUNG WOMAN (V.O)
I've been in a relationship for
almost... five months.
YOUNG MAN 2 (V.O)
Yes we're dating, it's gonna be
about three months.

INT. UNION - DAY

A series of individual consecutive shots of the members of
UTEP's LGBTQ organization as they tell us about their day and
prepare to be interviewed.

INT. UNION - MOMENTS LATER

First interviewee speaks to the camera.

INTERVIEWER (O.S)
How has being a part of this
organization benefited you?

INTERVIEWEE 1
You know after a while, you feel
the need to talk to people who go
through the same experiences that I
go through. To have that same level
empathy and to understand what it
actually means to be in a gay
relationship. Also brought in,
because I perceive things as a gay
man... I can never perceive them as
a transgender woman or transgender
man. I think that this has
definitely helped me network with
other people who are in the LGBTQ
community.
 2.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE (2015) - DAY

President Barrack Obama gives his speech on the supreme

courts decision to legalize same sex marriage.
OBAMA
That all people should be treated
equally, regardless of who they are
or who they love.

MARK GRISANTI
Who am I to say that someone does
not have the same rights that I
have with my wife, or to have the
thirteen hundred plus rights that I
share with her.

INT. UNION - DAY

We return to the union. A second interviewee speaks to the

camera followed by a third interviewee.
INTERVIEWER (O.S)
Have you ever been discriminated
for preferring someone of the same
sex?

INTERVIEWEE 2
We were sitting at a booth at
Village Inn, and this guy walks
down the aisle and looks at me. He
says to me, "I'm sick of seeing
this faggot shit". I was caught off
guard and I just thought that was
very... you know, wow.
INTERVIEWEE 3
I had a boss when I worked at
Village Inn who discriminated
against me. He wanted me to look
more feminine and look more -- as
he said -- "family approachable"
which meant me and my girlfriend
were forced to eat at the back of
the restaurant, instead of the
front. He said it didn't look like
a family environment.

INT. UNION - MOMENTS LATER

Continuation of the interview.
 3.

INTERVIEWER (O.S)
Do you believe UTEP is pro or con
against same sex couples?
INTERVIEWEE 3
I don't think I can rightfully
answer this cause I haven't had a
statement or haven't allowed that
conversation to be brought up.
INTERVIEWEE 1
I think that if there was a
position its very hush, hush. It's
not a very open topic and the
people who are actually against
same sex couples would rather not
say things so publicly due to the
fact that it's becoming more common
for same sex couples to display
affection.

INT. EL PASO COUNTY COURT HOUSE (2015) - DAY

Footage of Yairo Herrera and Luke Oleander getting married,
becoming the first same sex couple to be married in the city
of El Paso.
NARRATOR (V.O)
Although the city of El Paso saw
more than two hundred same sex
couples married, there is still
controversy.

EXT. STONEWALL (1979) - DAY

Footage of an eruption of violence outside the Stonewall
hotel. Law enforcement of the city of New York do their best
to contain it.

SUPER: Stonewall 1979.

NARRATOR (V.O)
On June 28th, 1969, New York city
law enforcement raided a gay club
in Greenwich Village. The raid
sparked a riot among bar patrons
and neighborhood residents which
lead to six days of protest and
violent clashes with law
enforcement. The Stonewall Riots
served as the foundation for the
gay civil rights movement.
 4.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY

Raw footage of a LGBTQ protest.

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. (1979)

Images of the one hundred thousand plus people who attended
the first ever "March on Washington" in support for gay and
lesbian rights.
SUPER: March on Washington 1979, 1987, 1993.

NARRATOR (V.O)
With controversy over the notion of
same sex couples, the United States
has pushed for equality and rights
for members of the LGBTQ community.
In 1979, more than 100 thousand
people of different sexual
orientations attended the first
ever "March on Washington" to
demand equal civil rights.

EXT. MASSACHUSETTS (2003) - DAY

Images of happy same sex couples in Massachusetts.

NARRATOR (V.O)
On November 23, 2003, many same sex
couples saw a glimmer of hope when
the state of Massachusetts became
the first to legalize same sex
marriage in the United States.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

A photo of the white house at night, illuminated by the
colors of the rainbow in support for the LGBTQ community.
SUPER: 2015 Supreme Court decision.

NARRATOR (V.O)
However, it wasn't until June, 26,
2015, that same sex marriage was
finally legalized by the Supreme
Court.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE (2015) - DAY

Obama speaks about the legalization of same sex marriage.
 5.

OBAMA
This morning the Supreme Court
recognized that the constitution
guarantees marriage equality.

INT. NBC NEWS ROOM (2015) - DAY

An NBC reporter gives the breaking news that the Supreme

Court has legalized same sex marriage.
NBC NEWS REPORTER
Now to that. A historic Supreme
Court decision, legalizing same sex
marriage across the land, and its
profound.

INT. ABC NEWS ROOM (2015) - DAY

A ABC reporter gives the breaking news that the Supreme Court
has legalized same sex marriage. A crowd in support of same
sex marriage go into a frenzy after the ruling.

ABC NEWS REPORTER

A lot of breaking news here this
morning. Just moments ago the
Supreme Court and its landmark
ruling, the court making same sex
legal.

INT. BBC NEWS ROOM (2015) - DAY

Two women from BBC report the Supreme Courts decision to

legalize same sex marriage.

BBC NEWS REPORTER

First, we have some breaking news
from the U.S. Supreme Court which
has said that, same sex couples
have a constitutional right to
marry.

INT. UNION - DAY

We return to the union.

INTERVIEWER (O.S)
Do you believe that at one point,
society will be able to accept
LGBTQ members?
 6.

INTERVIEWEE 3
I think eventually in the future it
wont even be a problem.

INTERVIEWEE 2
Yes, eventually.

INTERVIEWEE 1
I really hope so. I think that as a
gay man there is such a thing as
gay male privilege. I think that
for same sex couples the public
opinion is becoming increasingly in
support of it, but now I think one
of the biggest things that were
going through is specifically
focused on transgender individuals,
and the validation of gender. So
many people are unaware between the
difference of sex and gender. I do
hope that in these next few decades
things become easier for those
people but... you know, one can
only hope.

EXT. WEDDING - DAY

Footage and photos same sex couple happily married.

NARRATOR (V.O)
Our nation has come a long way when
approaching same sex marriage and
same sex couples. There have been
many ups and downs, but hopefully
one day society will look past
labels and truly accept people for
who they are.
FADE OUT.