First trailer for ABC's 'When We Rise' event series shows the LGBTQ community fight to get their rights

Image from Indiewire

By Darian Scalamoni

            With more and more fear being brought to the LGBTQ community over the past year or so due to the unfortunate Orlando shooting that claimed an incredible amount of lives, it’s as timely as ever to have a show on a major network showcasing the struggle of these people. ABC has an upcoming event series titled, When We Rise which documents the battle that many faced for their right to marry members of the same sex and have gay rights. You can see the first trailer below.

            The show is executively produced by renowned filmmaker Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) who has experience chronicling a gay icon in Harvey Milk in the past, directing Sean Penn to an Oscar for his portrayal. He’s also reteaming with the man who wrote the screenplay to Milk, Dustin Lance Black who also won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the historical drama. The trailer is intriguing but I always hope that shows as powerful as this could be put on a streaming service or a network like AMC or FX as it would be able to show more than a normal network channel could. The period piece is showcasing the Stonewall Riots of 1969 so hopefully they’ll actually show just how vicious some people were and how important these riots were to American history.

            Check out the trailer for When We Rise, an ABC event-series below! It will be televised in February and stars Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Michael Kenneth Williams and David Hyde Pierce!