Sally! [Gearhart, activist]

There are figures who have changed the world, often women who have been made invisible by the dominant patriarchal culture. Sally Miller Gearhart – Harvey Milk’s little-known sidekick -, an openly queer teacher, precursor of gender studies, is one of them. Sally! is a vibrant and optimistic documentary that resurrects the legacy of a firebrand radical lesbian feminist who ignited movements for LGBTIQ+ equality and women’s rights in the 1970s and ‘80s. Through archival footage and intimate interviews, Sally Gearhart’s charismatic and visionary spirit, her bravery, the people who loved her and the vibrant community she nurtured are showcased with humour and depth. From her role in the fight for equality to her pioneering work in women’s studies, Gearhart’s story is one of cheek, passion and contradiction. The heartfelt portrait of an icon whose influence resonates in today’s ongoing battles for social justice, and whose great particularity is to have put into words and then into action a lesbian utopia: fleeing male-dominated cities to live among women, in harmony, as close as possible to nature.