Equal, a four-part docuseries celebrating trailblazers who fought for justice and equality in the queer community of post-war America and the pre-Stonewall uprising, premieres October 22 on HBO Max.
Directed by showrunner Stephen Kijak, the special features Grammy nominee Cheyenne Jackson as Dale Jennings, SAG nominee Anthony Rapp as Harry Hay, Emmy nominee Shannon Purser and Heather Matarazzo as couple Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Emmy nominee Sara Gilbert as J.M. from Cleveland, SAG nominee Anne Ramsay as The FBI Agent, GLAAD Media Award winner Alexandra Grey as Lucy Hicks Anderson, Theo Germaine as Jack Starr, Jamie Clayton as Christine Jorgensen, Isis King as Alexis, Emmy winner Samira Wiley as Lorraine Hansberry, Keiynan Lonsdale as Bayard Rustin, Emmy winner Jai Rodriguez as José Sarria, Hailie Sahar as Sylvia Rivera, Emmy nominee Scott Turner Schofield as Craig Rodwell, Cole Doman as Mark Segal, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow as Stormé DeLarverie, Gale Harold as Howard Smith, and Sam Pancake as Dick Leitsch.
Premiering during LGBT History Month, Equal honors the rebels of yesteryear with archival footage along with depictions that bring to life their back stories. Part 1 explores the rise of early organizations The Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis; Part 2 stories chronicles the 20th century trans experience, bookended by the 1966 Compton Cafeteria riots in San Francisco; Part 3 examines the contributions from the Black community on the growing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement; and Part 4 ties in the decades-long struggles with the culminated Stonewall uprising—the beginning of the Pride movement.
The series is executive produced by Scout Productions’ Michael Williams, Joel Chiodi, David Collins, and Rob Eric, along with Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, Jim Parsons, Todd Spiewak, Eric Norsoph from That’s Wonderful Productions, Jon Jashni from Raintree Ventures, and Mike Darnell and Brooke Karzen of Warner Horizon Unscripted Television.
Diane Becker and Melanie Miller of Fishbowl Films serve as producers.
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