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by Carlos Santoscoy

San Francisco, CA — After the Supreme Court blocked video broadcast of the federal trial to decide the constitutionality of a gay marriage ban last Wednesday, freelance journalist and filmmaker John Ireland decided he'd produce his own version and post it on YouTube.

"People want to see this drama unfold and there is a tremendous narrative that was propelled by that first day of testimony," Ireland told On Top Magazine on Sunday. "This is the first time that gay and lesbian people have talked about their lives in federal court. It's historic from that point of view."

Ireland said he's basing his storytelling on the accounts of bloggers present at the trial that started last Monday in a San Francisco courtroom.

"I don't think you have to be gay or lesbian to see that there is a tremendous human story being told but so few people are actually hearing it," Ireland said.

After casting the trial's main characters, filming began over the weekend. Opening day of the trial is "in the can" and likely to debut on YouTube on Tuesday, with daily updates starting on Wednesday, the Los Angeles-based filmmaker said.

"We've been in a fast and furious process of auditioning yesterday, confirming and booking last night, late into the night, and this morning at 9:30 we were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and started filming," he said.

Ireland has a personal stake in the trial, in 2004 he married Duncan Crabtree in San Francisco City Hall after Mayor Gavin Newsom instructed the County Clerk's office to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Newsom's decision began a domino effect that eventually led to voters approving Proposition 8 four years later.

Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine

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