Gay Rights Pioneer's Turn: Book to Betrayal?

In 1951, Donald Webster Cory, an openly gay author, published 'The Homosexual in America,' a significant non-fiction account of gay life that became a bestseller. The book championed gay individuals as an oppressed minority deserving of equal rights, thereby galvanizing the nascent gay rights movement and earning Cory the title "father of their movement."

However, Cory's perspective underwent a dramatic transformation by the mid-1960s, causing him to diverge from the movement he helped establish. This ideological shift resulted in his repudiation by former supporters and his subsequent relegation to a historical footnote.

A new documentary, 'Odd Man In,' directed by Matt Nadel and executive produced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, reconstructs Cory's life. The film, which premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival, explores his legacy through the eyes of his son and a former student, seeking to understand his "fall from grace."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson described the film as a "complex and compassionate" portrait of Cory, highlighting the importance of such documentaries in illuminating history. Caroline Waterlow, an Oscar-winning producer, emphasized the need to revisit the roots of social progress with empathy, acknowledging Cory as a flawed yet consequential figure who undeniably altered the course of LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S.

'Odd Man In' questions what is owed to a trailblazer who seemingly turned his back on the movement he helped build. The film aims to understand why Cory could envision a liberated queer future but not fully live it himself, challenging the impulse to simplify or erase complex historical figures.