Your Thoughts

I have watched this about 5 times now. Thank you for doing what you did. You are going to go far. Very brave indeed.

Thanks for this great page and its resources, and especially for the new work on Kumu Hina.

Robert J. Morris
Hong Kong
http://www.robertjmorris.net

Hey, my name is Ethan and I’m 13. I know that seems extremely young to know who I am, and who I want to be, but in all reality it’s not. You are who are. Nobody can change that. I learned that over the summer. I began to find myself. By the time school began, I knew I was gay. Despite the harassment for even appearing gay, I struggled on. I met a guy, and we formed a relationship. Eventually everyone figured it out. For the most part everyone was very supportive. I’ve had many people tell me that I have more courage than they ever would. Things didn’t last long with my boyfriend, and my mom was being especially nosey, so I stopped talking to him a bit, and then shortly found out he was cheating on me. I haven’t come out to my parents. Or any family for that matter. I’m from the Deep South, and they’re all very conservative. I live in fear every day of discovery. I don’t want to be an outcast in my own family. From November to Febuary, things continued at a steady pace, and I found this film. It helped me see things from another perspective, and it also helped me realize that there are many other guys out there like me, too scared to tell their parents, or anyone else. Thank You guys for making this! I really enjoyed it, and it’ll help me get through the rest of middle school and highschool.

I grew up in OC, graduating in the early 1980s and had a bad high school experience.  I am straight, however since I was small and awkward and did not fit the prevailing view of how masculine a boy should be I was called gay, fag, wimp, you name it, you could say that I was a straight boy who experienced anti-gay bullying.  Starting in 7th grade, I was spat upon, pushed into lockers, had my hair pulled and pretty much treated like scum.  The trauma was severe for me.  As a 12 year old I constantly wondered how I would deal with this and my only comfort was knowing that there was a way out, that a single shot to my head would end this, a path that I am glad that I did not take.

It got much better once I got to the upper grades 10 to 12, but the damage had been done, like that B Springsteen song I felt that I was like a dog beat too much and spending half my life just covering up.  I wish anti-bullying was around when i was a kid.

I would not say that I have a positive view of OC, the overall climate was very narrow minded and nasty, however at the same time I would ask not to paint all residents there with the same brush.  I am not living there anymore but know that there are some very decent and open minded people there.

I am sorry to hear that others experience this.  One of the biggest problems that I have seen in society is that we are not civil to each other and accepting of others differences.  I am very sorry if any of you out there are treated like this,  and I hope that anyone who is treated like this gets the help that they need to improve the situation.

Wow, wish i had seen this years ago. i’m not ,out and about , like 10 years ago. some people know at work. but not everyone. i mentioned it at church. was the outcast. dont go to church anymore.  thank you for this and the effort you made to make a difference. i appreciate.

I just watched the film. I am a 36 year old male and there is not much that can bring me to tears. your film did. I have a gay brother and he is no less of a person because of his sexuality. Actually he is more of a person for being open. He is my brother and there is nothing that will change that. Great work!!

I just want to say I just finished watching your documentary ‘Out in the Silence’ & it was really touching & a great film to watch.  I was really glad that the school finally now has included gay/lesbians in their non-discrimination policy. I also wanted to say CJ & his mom were awesome. So were the couple who re-did the old theater. I hope everyone from the film is doing well & I’m glad you were able to change people’s minds.

Again, a great doc. that was made :]

Danny

Your documentary is the first I have seen that has truly made me realize what I went through as a teen and what I/we go through as an adult.  I live in a town similar to Oil City here in Central NC and it kills me how we can be one county away from one of the most liberal cities in the state and still experience hatred and ignorance.  However, you have given me the passion to do whatever I can to educate those who do not understand - even after the passing of the marriage amendment last May.  I am lucky that I have a long lineage of family members and friends who know and love me for who I am - not what I am.  I am also lucky that my partner and I have been together for 11 years today.  Our desire is that teens grow up happy with who they are without fear.  That they find it within themselves to stand up to the intolerance and when they feel they cannot cope, that they reach out.  We are looking into starting a PFLAG chapter in hopes that we can start the process of awareness, understanding and more importantly support.  Thanks so much for making such a moving piece of film art.

I drive through Oil City on my way to visit my grandmother in Warren, and though I’m not a local, I know Oil City and I know Western PA. Born and bred burgher. Black and gold in my blood.

Thank you for trying to make the world a better, kinder, safer place. I will never understand where such hatred stems from and such mean spiritedness. What horrible people those AFA people are. I guess they never learned “Love your neighbor as yourself” or perhaps they just don’t love themselves very much. That seems to be often the sad case for angry people. They’re really just insecure about their own self worth and need to hate on others to feel better about themselves.

I think next time I go to visit my grandmother, I’ll stop by the Latonia instead of just drive on past. Maybe I’ll even make the trip sometime for one of their events. Good things should be supported and encouraged, and anything that creates a better world for my toddler to grow up in, is good by me.

I am the mother of a gay son whom I love to the depths of my being.  The struggles he faced in our small town drove him away after high school which meant leaving his home here with us.
He is much happier where he now resides but we are still left behind here trying to make changes in our small town by being proud of our son and speaking up for our children.
Thank you for the movie as it inspired me to be even more vocal in the hopes that I can help another child in this same situation.