San Diego's Gay Bar History
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Paul Detwiler. The film traces the development of the gay bar as a community institution in San Diego, from post-WWII to the present. Since 1945, no less than 135 gay bars have operated in San Diego, and provided sanctuary for GLBT people to discover themselves and form community. These institutions have played an integral role in creating spaces for building friendships and for fostering activism, as well as serving as spaces for both grieving and celebration. San Diego's Gay Bar History examines the roles bars have played across four major time periods: after WWII until the birth of the modern gay rights movement in 1969; during the 1970s and until the onset of HIV in 1981; during the AIDS epidemic (1981-1995), and into the present time.
Paul Detwiler (Producer, Writer, Director) is a San Diego-based filmmaker and marine science educator interested in new media, documentaries, and creative collaboration with scientists, artists, and deep thinkers. His films reflect fluid, metaphorical spaces that explore the intersection of desire, lyricism, memory, and queer subcultures, and have screened at over 80 film festivals on 5 continents, winning 8 awards. His mission is to create artistic and socially relevant film projects that entertain, inspire, and challenge audiences towards new understandings of our shared humanity. This event will be held in the Winn Room.