Gays in the Spotlight

Boys in the Band (1970): Widely regarded as the first "gay movie," this film, by the director of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist," was the first to out-and-out focus on the lives of gay men. In spite of its often negative depictions of the men and their lifestyles, the movie was largely sympathetic. Based on a 1968 play, the movie was released the year after the Stonewall Riots, which marked the start of the gay rights movement. (ABC News)