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Ancient Enemies

A decade after the release of a documentary that profiled Jesse Helms, one of the fiercest enemies of gay rights, Dear Jesse comes to DVD -- including a never-before-seen interview with Matthew Shepard -- and reminds us how far we have come.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted October 24, 2007
Ancient Enemies

Almost a decade has passed since Tim Kirkman filmed his Emmy-nominated documentary Dear Jesse, yet the piece retains its significance as one of the first accounts of the divisive rhetoric that has come to characterize American politics. This short film is a first-person compare-and-contrast between the gay filmmaker and the notoriously conservative Jesse Helms, who served five terms as a Republican senator from North Carolina. Kirkman, who grew up in a similar environment, seeks to understand what motivates decent, “God-fearing” people to practice the politics of hate.

In 1972, Helms became the first Republican to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate since the 19th century. His conservative politics quickly earned him the moniker “Senator No” -- that is, no affirmative action, no abortion, no gay rights. Despite his tendency toward intolerance, Helms would become the longest-serving popularly elected U.S. senator in his state's history.

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Gaughan, a former intern at The Advocate, is a junior at the University of Southern California.

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