For the past few years, South Florida has been in the news, and often not for good reasons, such as the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. However, as anyone who lives in or visits the Broward County region, which includes Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, can tell you, there\u2019s more to it than the occasional Florida Man story that crosses the wires.<\/p>\n
\u201cInside The Oasis: The Story of South Florida\u2019s Gay Mecca\u201d (Lightship), a documentary directed and co-written by Andy Perrott, provides viewers with a history lesson about the queer \u201coasis in a Republican state\u201d that is Broward County. As narrator Sharon Gless puts it, it\u2019s \u201ca tribute and warning of what was, what is, and what could be again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Separated into four sections, beginning in the 1950s and 1960s through the present day, the documentary reminds us that LGBTQ community has had foes long before Ron DeSantis ever took office (some even before he was born) including Senator Charlie Johns (of the notorious Johns Committee), homophobic police detectives David Narrow and John Sorenson, bonkers beauty queen Anita Bryant, and hate-church head Dr. James Kennedy. But we have also had supporters fighting the good fight, such as attorney Robin Bodiford, the Pride Center\u2019s Yvonne Rohrbacher, and TransInclusive Group\u2019s Tatiana Williams.<\/p>\n
Perrot has packed a lot into the doc, which runs for less than an hour. It features informative interviews with subjects ranging from politicians (Congressperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz, gay Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, gay senator Shevrin Jones), historians and activists (Fred Fejes, Dennis Delia, Eric Swanson aka Miss Bouv\u00e8\u00e9, Denise Yoezle, Tiffany Arieagus), and business people (P.J. Williams, George Kessinger, John Castelli, Carol Moran), as well as vintage and current photos, film, and video footage.<\/p>\n
The thing that prevents \u201cInside The Oasis\u201d from sliding into promotional video territory is its appreciation of history. Taking us on this queer journey, Perrott makes a point of providing a useful historical perspective.<\/p>\n
The combined firepower of Perrott\u2019s movie, \u201cInside The Oasis: The Story of South Florida\u2019s Gay Mecca,\u201d and gay writer Robert Fieseler\u2019s acclaimed book \u201cAmerican Scare: Florida\u2019s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives,\u201d shines a bright and necessary light on a place worthy of understanding and attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n