OUTSTANDING: A COMEDY REVOLUTION is probably the most joyous celebration of the queer community we will see on our screens this Pride Month. Directed by filmaker/comedian Page Hurwitz, the producing partner of queer comic Wanda Sykes, this Netflix documentary very incisively explores the contributions that stand up comics have made to the growth and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community over the years.
With the help of an unprecedented array of some extraordinary talented queer comedians, Hurwitz allows her cast to share their stories about how their personal and professional ‘coming outs’ shaped their work. Which in turn shaped how our community evolved.
Starting with veteran comic Robin Tyler the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national television in 1978. Like many others, we were totally unaware that in her earlier career she was one half of the lesbian, feminist comedy duo Harrison and Tyler. that were regular performers on TV. Tyler was quite an activist too, and it was her, and her late wife, and their successful lawsuit that brought marriage equality to California.
Whilst the film was actually shot at a Concert in L.A. in 2022, most of the footage was of several of the 130 performers was as talking heads sharing very personal experiences. Including Margaret Cho, Judy Gold, Wanda Sykes, Sandra Bernard, Lily Tomlin, Scott Thompson, Bruce Vilanch etc etc and what they all had in common was an ability to laugh even at the upsets they have faced in their careers from different levels of homophobia and hate.
Hurwitz also included some brilliant trans performers such as Eddie Izzard, River Butcher, Ros Hernandez etc as in this present politcal climate are the new targets of an increasingly desperate right wing, Having been a diehard fan of Izard for years, we knew that they could personally not only handle this, but could verbally and mentally run rings around any hate talk levelled at them
For us another high point was watching and listening to young generations of comics like Queerguru fave Joel Kim Booster acknowledging that those older comics who came before them had made such waves to enable them to now find their own journeys. It also reassures us that queer people, young and old, retain this ability that despite what negativity confronts us, can find humor to help us work through it.
Its fair to say that there will probably never be another occasion when such phenominal queer talent will be gathered under one roof and together in such perfact harmony. It makes one really appreciate what a sheer joy it is to be a tiny gog in such a truly magnificent community.
We would defy anyone watching this not to feel the same. Even if you are (sadly) ‘straight’ !
ROGER WALKER-DACK Creator, Editor-in-Chief Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA IG @QUEERGURU Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributung Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of Roger Dack Ltd in the UK
