Gay filmmakers' documentary examines homophobia in rural America

[RamboLiberal]

Saw this article about this film in my local paper this morning and thought it might be of interest here.

A wedding announcement for a gay couple placed five years ago in two Venango County newspapers sparked a fiery debate that is still burning.

The couple, Joe Wilson, a 45-year-old Oil City native, and Dean Hamer, 58, were married in Canada in April 2004. They used the backlash as fuel for a documentary film on homophobia in small towns titled "Out in the Silence."

Buried in a pile of hate mail generated by the announcements in The Derrick and The News-Herald was a 17-page letter from Kathy Springer, asking for Mr. Wilson's help with her then-16-year-old gay son, CJ Bills. She said in the 2005 letter that he had been bullied into dropping out of school.

Mr. Wilson and Dr. Hamer, who had made several short documentaries, left their Washington, D.C., home with cameras in hand to document the family's struggle against a seemingly uninterested school board.

The film captures CJ telling the story of the days following his coming out to classmates at Franklin High School, in Franklin. He refers to walking down the hallways as "pure hell," saying he was pushed and tripped daily, students who were once friends shouted "faggot" at him, and teachers turned their heads, pretending not to see.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09204/985816-60.stm#ixzz0M7fNCVUd


Dean Hamer, left, and Oil City native Joe Wilson are the creators of "Out in the Silence."

[nosmokes]

1. Looking forward to seeing this film

And I know that we've already loaded teachers down w/ far more than any reasonable person could be expected to handle,especially for the pittance we pay them, but I find it very disheartening that in so many stories about our gay youth(and make no mistake, like all children we as a society have a vested interest in their well being) are comments about the adults being indifferent to the abuse and bullying of GBLT kids. I realize there's a certain risk to speaking out in that one may be thought to be a member of the community, but shouldn't the health of the children come first?

[qb]

2. Thank you! It's supposed to be on nationwide PBS next year

I look forward to seeing it.
:hi:

[WillParkinson]

3. The saddest thing...

"students who were once friends shouted "faggot" "

How much do you want to bet that most of them just did not have the guts to stand up for their friend and succumbed to peer pressure?

[Toasterlad]

4. Yes, That's Both Sickening and Tragic At the Same Time.

We tend to forget that homophobia hurts straight people, too...probably because they're not on the receiving end of the slurs and fists and bricks. But it's sad to think of a kid losing a good friend because he can't find the courage to stand by that friend when the friend comes out of the closet. The family and friends who stand by us - especially in backwards parts of the country like the one in the OP - are unsung heroes of our struggle.

[mitchtv]

5. I remember the bullies in my urban neighborhood

giving me three days to get out of town. See how advanced NYC is?

[imdjh]

6. As Mitch noted, it's not just small towns, but surely gay flight doesn't help.

I'm not saying that gay people should stay in small towns where hate and lack of opportunity make their lives miserable, just noting that a lot of the perception of the gay bashers that we "aren't from here" or that we somehow landed fully grown from outer space, comes from gay flight.

On the bright side, things are changing in leaps and bounds, but it's probably regional and it's going to take a long time to make it to the nooks and crannies. Gay people are staying in home towns, or moving to home towns. Gay people aren't all aspiring to live their entire lives in the better known gay enclaves. Many make their pilgrimage, others live for a time in gay meccas, but with the internet available for social networking (and other networking) many gay people see no need to make a big move.

It would also be very cool if there was some kind of Big Brothers and Big Sisters kind of program, where young gay people could go visit with established gay people in major cities or resorts for a couple of weeks in the summer. Fraught with logistical and PR problems for sure, but not insurmountable obstacles.