Your Thoughts

I just watched “Out in the Silence” on PBS, and i thought it was amazing!! It is so shocking to me that in 2011 we cannot get “our shit together” as a planet and unite to destroy prejudice. I enjoyed the film immensely.

Dear Joseph and Dean,

    I just finished watching your documentary of the struggle with the discrimination against gay and lesbians in Oil City. I am a 20 year old hispanic gay man and I would like to thank you for doing what you are doing! You have been not only an inspiration to me and thousands of others about not hiding and pretending to be someone else. As a growing teenager I have also had the same exact trouble as CJ Springer, with all the teacher looking the other way when other teens ganged up on me. Administrators ignoring every single complaint and worry of my mother and mothers of other gay teens who attended the school and were constantly harassed and beaten! Just two months ago a very dear friend of mine was ganged up on and fatally beaten to death and unfortunately died on his birthday because he was gay. So unfortunately instead of celebrating his birthday like we did every single year I and many of his dear friends and family members had to go to the funeral home to his wake. Again, I was deeply moved by your documentary and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing what you are doing! Hope you luck in all your journeys and marriage.

                                              Sincerely,

                                                    Alexander Morillo

To the mother, Kathy, I just want to say that seeing you brought me to tears with how you supported your son. You remind me a lot of my own mother who has stood at my side from the moment I came out to her, when I started a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at my high school, and who has driven across the state and back, helping me make this state a more tolerant and accepting place to live. I commend you for your courage and thank you so much for standing up and speaking out for your amazingly courageous son. To CJ, never give up your fight. You have no idea how many people you have touched with your story, and how much change will come as a result of it. Stay strong. You’re an amazing person and I am so honored to have been able to watch this DVD. Keep changing the world.

“A small body of determined spirits fired by the unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history” - Gandhi

To the Creators of this Dvd:
     
    Well, What can I say; but Thank You for everything,the impact of your project is gonna be really great & possitive!!! Live life to the fullest!!! By the way here is a Hawaiian saying that I Learned ” I ka ‘Olelo no ke ola, I ka ‘Olelo no ka make ”
(” In speech there is life & In speech there is death”).

      All in all this Movie( Out in the silence) was the best movie of my life!!! Im am so proud how the mother embraced and loved her son with no questions asked. We need parents like her throughout the world. This dvd helped me in ways beyond my words. I am so thankful for who I am, Growing up myself was definetly hard but today I survived as well.  I am really proud of all the kids that stepped up & out to be heard. I feel that God don’t make mistake, He just makes people like Us more special, and Im eternally greatful for that. This Movie will help the future generations to come.

Mahalo nui Loa ( thank you very Much)
-Kahele Napeahi .

Incredible film!! I was not happy to see and hear the extent of homophobia in a part of the state where I grew up. Hopefully enough people will see this film and it can begin to make a difference!

Good point. I hadn’t tohught about it quite that way.

Well I too live in a small town of about 5,000 people, I live in the hills of California, now most people think California is such an accepting and liberal state well that is not completely true. sure most of the state might be OK, but in the small towns its just as Conservative and small minded as the rest of the small town’s ( all over not just the south ). Here the big thing is Christian beliefs, religion, and sports As far as i know i am literally the only gay teen or youth in my town, and possibly only say 4 other teens or youth in the whole county. My point is i understand the struggle Cj had went through, my experience was not as harsh because i am simply still to afraid to fully come out in this town, but through high school there where all the kids who thought i was gay and of course made my life hell. After Seeing this DOC, i was really inspired, not just for the plain fact that you should be able to be your self, but also that against all the hateful people there are people trying to make a change, and people are starting to change.

I would love to actually be able to talk to C.J. because not only did he go through that all, he is still trying to make a change, and as a teen its not always the easiest to be herd or taken seriously. I work as a teen peer educator trying to teach just plain sex ed and safe sex and just have other teens to talk to.

Anyways i really loved this DOc “out in silence” its inspiring, i feel like there is hope out there.

I am a former conservative Christian and avid AFR listener. My heart has been changing for the past two years as my eyes have been opened. AFR is brainwashing people. They are not spreading the love of Jesus Christ but hate. This is a very dangerous thing. This documentary made me cry when I watched it. It put a face to all the people I used to think of as sinners. AFR is trying to hold back a whole class of people by working to deny them of their civil rights. What right does anyone have to tell someone they cannot marry the one they love? They are putting people’s lives in peril by their hate speech. I hope this film opens the hearts and minds of people. I am behind the message 100%. It is a very thoughtful and thought provoking film. It is very well made. I live in Ms. about 20 miles from the birthplace of AFR. You can imagine how ultra conservative it is around here. I really hope this documentary can be brought to my town.

I very simply believe that it is individuals like yourself that are ruining this world.  I know people like you are making a difference, but its pointing the children of tomorrow in the wrong direction.  Homosexuality is wrong, and I will stand with that believe until I die.  I am so tired of it being pushed on straight people, your not a minority, quit trying to make everyone feel like your lives are so awful because of us. 

I haven’t even seen the movie, and still I am moved by just knowing it exists.  My college’s Safe Zone and LGBT Alliance Teams are showing the film during our Pride Week awareness events, and I can’t wait.  Just from reading synopses and being so close to the situation and Oil City itself.  I grew up in Jamestown, now live in Greenville, and spent a lot of time in Oil City, for athletic competition dinner stops on our way to cooks forest to camp in the summers. 
High school was the worst, and I remember how hard it was to balance having your secrets and trying to live true to your life.  A difficult thing about being an out bisexual female is that most people (straight men) don’t believe you and the people who do (females) are no longer comfortable with you, constantly afraid you’ll “hit on them.”  Most anyone else just doesn’t understand.  The loneliness, emptiness, and hopelessness is very real in small towns.  I could never come out to my parents (I’m sure I never will) because they were raised and are the same people that are immersed and perpetuate this hostile environment blindness to LGBT issues that exists in places like Northwest PA.  I know of people who have been threatened both in my hometown and my current town. It’s beautiful that C.J.‘s mother was so supportive, to the point of reaching out FOR him.  It’s also heartwarming to know that the views are changing around here.

I can’t wait to see this film!