OVER 21,000 PEOPLE have signed a petition to boycott a new film about the early days of the LGBT rights movement.
Stonewall, starring Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Myers, purports to tell the story of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which kicked off the gay rights movement in the US.
However, people are accusing the film of ‘whitewashing’ history.
What are they mad about?
People are angry that Marsha P Johnson, a black transwoman who eyewitnesses say was one of the first to start rioting, appears to have been left out of the film, along with other black and trans activists.
In the trailer for the film, a character played by white actor Jeremy Irvine is apparently shown to incite the riots.
The petition reads:
It is time that black and brown transwomen and drag queens are recognised for their efforts in the riots… From the preview alone, we know that will not be happening.
Many members of the gay community are saying that while they’re grateful for the story to be made into a film, they’d prefer it to be told correctly:
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What do the filmmakers say?
Director Roland Emmerich has defended the casting on Facebook:
When this film – which is truly a labour of love for me – finally comes to the theatres, audiences will see that it deeply honours the real-life activists who were there… We are all the same in our struggle for acceptance.
Lead actor Irvine has also defended his character in an Instagram post, saying:
I can assure you that [the film] represents almost every race and section of society that was so fundamental to one of the most important civil rights movements in living history.
“I felt incredibly nervous taking on this role knowing how important the subject matter is to so many people… I hope that we have not only done such an important story justice but also made a good movie as well,” he continued.
When can we see it for ourselves?
The film is out in the US on September 25 - the Irish release date is yet to be announced, so reserve your judgement until then.
