Bronski Beat repeats the question

Produced by PRETTYBIRD, in collaboration with Bronski Beat and London Records, this film is a sickening reminder of the levels of intolerance and sheer hatred levelled at the queer and trans community from the 80s up to this day. 

When the song Why was released, state-sanctioned bigotry was rife, with the age of consent for ‘homosexual acts’ being 21, instead of the heteronormative 16. The song's original promo never truly aligned with the song's (and the band’s) intentions. Forty years later, the band's frontman Jimmy Somerville wanted to change this. 

Lambert explains: “Jimmy commissioned me to make a project that spoke to the climate of LGBTQ+ rights today. I  ended up exploring archives from past and present, material from my phone and friends — self-shot material from the community."

The result is a moving, cleverly crafted blend of film and footage revealing both the defiance of protesters marching for equality and the horror of homophobia through the ages. From the 1999 nail bombing in one of London’s oldest gay pubs, to the 2016 mass shooting in a gay club in Orlando – which met with religious right-wing claims that God ‘sent the shooter in fury.’ There are also more recent reports – such as the 2022 survey revealing half of trans youths in the US have considered suicide.

Yet the film is also a heartening story of resilience, joy and community, that honours those who've put themselves on the line for the sake of love.

Along with a call out to support the LGBTQIA+ rights group stonewall.uk.org, the film ends with Somerville's quote: “Nothing can be taken for granted. LGBTQIA+ rights can be wiped out overnight. The fight for equality goes on."