Revisiting one's history through contemporary materials rather than exclusively through memory is always a good idea whenever the opportunity arises. Your memory often lies.

Not long ago I was trying to remember the name of a college classmate who was a bundle of energy, a cheerleader for the football team, a talented singer, etc. who became a choral teacher at my old middle school after graduation in the mid-80's but soon died of AIDS. I found the NAMES Project Quilt site moribund and unsearchable. I'm guessing the quilt itself doesn't travel much anymore even in part (it's way too big) and is probably stuffed in a warehouse somewhere.

That search led me to the outhistory site. Recent history in my mind had been abbreviated thusly: 60s and 70s, first glimmerings of gay pride and public tolerance; 80s, horrible AIDS epidemic and a degree of public backlash; 90s, growing sympathy and acceptance and really a not-too-bad situation, especially once effective HIV treatments became widespread (at least in first-world countries).

It's amazing how your mind projects the current state of affairs (good or bad) back into the past. A look around outhistory for my city in the 90s shows that workplace, housing, and general societal discrimination against LGBT people were still absolutely rampant. Newspapers were STILL filled with hysterical calls by politicians, clergy, and citizens only too happy to have their names printed, to squelch pride celebrations, gay rodeos, bars, bath-houses, and anyone so bold as to be out; up to and including the quarantining of HIV-positive people.

If you lived through that era and forgot how bad it was even 20 years ago, and especially if you're younger, go to outhistory.org and look around. Enter the name of your town or the nearest big city in the search box (it's not a great search function, so be patient and imaginative). Do this before going to the Stonewall screening. I wish I could go, but I can't.