BILLY PORTER!
ON THE SHOW TONIGHT!
THERE HE IS!
( APPLAUSE ) >> HI, PEOPLE!
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE MY SWEATER.
>> James: I LOVE THIS.
I LOVE NO ONE CAN BE IN ANY DOUBT WHAT YOU ARE IMPLORING
THEM TO DO AND I SALUTE YOU FOR IT.
SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE SPOKEN.
A LOT'S BEEN GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE.
YOU JUST PURCHASED YOUR FIRST EVER HOUSE.
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
HOW ARE YOU FEELING WITH ALL OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE JUST MOVED IN, SO I DON'T KNOW REALLY
MUCH ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY, AND I'M BLESSED ENOUGH TO HAVE
PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HELP ME.
BUT I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M A CITY BOY.
I GREW UP IN PITTSBURGH, THEN I MOVED TO NEW YORK, MANHATTAN, I
LIVED THERE FOR 30 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED THE BIRDS
AND THE TREES AND THE CICADAS AND, LIKE, I HAD NO IDEA!
AND WE'RE CLOSE TO THE BEACH.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN VERY HEALING,
YOU KNOW, TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
>> James: YEAH.
IT'S BEEN VERY HEALING IN A WAY THAT I JUST DIDN'T KNOW, YOU
KNOW.
>> James: ARE YOU MISSING THE CITY, THOUGH?
>> NO.
>> James: NO?
YOU'RE JUST ENJOYING THIS SPACE.
>> NO, BUT I'VE ALSO LIVED IN THE CITY FOR 30 YEARS.
>> James: YEAH.
THIS DECEMBER 27th WILL BE 30 YEARS.
I AM 51 YEARS OLD.
IT'S OKAY.
I CAN GO TO WORK IN ALL THE MAIHEM AND THEN COME HOME AND BE
A GROWNUP.
>> James: YOU HAVE THE BALANCE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THERE.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST MET IN
NEW YORK ON BROADWAY WHICH IS A COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW MEANS SO
MUCH TO YOU AND IT DOES TO ME AND IT'S STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW,
BUT I'M INTERESTED TO GET YOUR TAKE ON THIS.
ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY KIND OF
FINANCIAL SUPPORT OR PACKAGE FOR THEATERS AND THE ARTS FROM
GOVERNMENT AT THIS MOMENT?
>> NO.
NOTHING -- I'M A BLACK MAN WHO LIVES IN AMERICA.
NOTHING IS SURPRISING TO ME.
THE THING ABOUT THE ART IS IT'S AWAYS THE FIRST TO GO BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, THE ARTS CREATES FREE THINKERS, AND FREE THINKERS ASK
QUESTIONS.
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ADMINISTRATION WHO ONLY WANTS
FOLLOWERS, SO IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO ME THAT THE ARTS IS
DISCARDED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL NEVER GO AWAY, WE WILL RISE AGAIN, WE
TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, THAT'S WHAT
WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT.
>> James: NOW, YOUR NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES "EQUAL," THE
HISTORY OF THE LGBTQ MOVEMENT BEFORE THE STONEWALL RIOTS.
I'M REALLY INTRIGUED TO WATCH IT.
WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU LEARNED WHILE YOU WERE
MAKING THE SHOW?
>> WELL, IT'S NOT SO MUCH SURPRISING AS IT IS REALLY
AMAZING TO SEE AN ENTIRE EPISODE, WHICH IS EPISODE THREE
OF THE FOUR, DEDICATED TO BLACK LGBTQ PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR,
LORRAINE HANSBURY BY BYRON RUSTE TO BE SPECIFIC.
BYRON RUSTEN WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT.
HE ALONE ORGANIZED THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR FREEDOM WHERE THE
"I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH" OCCURRED AND HE WAS ESSENTIALLY KICKED
OUT OF THE MOVEMENT BECAUSE OF HIS GAYNESS.
THAT WASN'T WHAT THE MOVEMENT WAS ABOUT AT THE TIME AND HE
TOOK A BACK SEAT.
SO IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE POSTHUMOUSLY BYRON RUSTEN
GETTING THE RECOGNITION THAT HE DESERVES, YOU KNOW.
WE'RE QUEER, WE'RE HERE AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE, AND THAT
CONVERSATION IS BEGINNING TO HAPPEN, AND THAT EXCITES ME.
>> James: YEAH, IT REALLY DOES.
( APPLAUSE ) YESTERDAY, OBVIOUSLY THE SENATE
CONFIRMED A NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE AMY CONEY BARRETT.
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU THAT HER APPOINTMENT MEANS THAT THE
DECADES OF PROGRESS FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS, YOU KNOW, COULD GET
ROLLED BACK?
IS IT CONCERNING TO YOU?
>> IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S NOT JUST LGBTQ.
>> James: YEAH.
IT'S ALSO WOMEN, IT'S ALSO ANYTHING AND ANYBODY THAT IS NOT
WHITE AND MOSTLY MALE.
I'M NOT SCARED OF THESE PEOPLE.
I'M A BLACK MAN LIVING IN AMERICA.
MY PEOPLE CAME THROUGH SLAVERY.
SHE DON'T SCARE ME.
SHE DON'T SCARE ME AT ALL.
NONE OF THEM SCARE ME BECAUSE LOVE ALWAYS WINS.
IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME, AND WE, ON THE OTHER SIDE, HAVE TO GET
USED TO UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS.
YOU KNOW, FREDERIC DOUGLAS SAYS ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE
OF LIBERTY.
I AM A VIGILANTE.
( APPLAUSE ) >> James: BILLY PORTER,
EVERYBODY.
WHAT A SHOCK FOR YOUR SOUL.