Esther Newton Made Me Gay

Throughout her career, Esther Newton was a pioneer, questioning and challenging status quo assumptions on gender, sexuality, and anthropological methods. Her work inspired generations of scholars to pursue research in what would eventually become the field of LGBTQ+ and Gender Studies. The film tells her story of awakening to gay life in the 1950’s, the women’s liberation movement and lesbian-feminism, drag culture, and forging a butch identity. Esther guides us through an anthropology of herself, a study influenced by her love for a sport—competitive dog agility. Esther navigates a lifetime of obstacles in her quest to become who she wanted to be: a butch lesbian, scholar, and athlete.