Tomorrow,
several organizations are hosting the first local screening of Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up, a documentary that explores the pressures teens endure to conform to accepted gender boundaries.That film is dedicated to Hannah, who was one of the 50 young people producers interviewed to gauge the restrictions society puts on teens in defining their masculinity or femininity.Hannah was a good friend of Josh, an openly gay student at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School who committed suicide in October 2006. He was 15....
The Kentucky Theatre website says:
Straightlaced: How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up
Straightlaced: How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up
FREE (donations requested) to benefit suicide prevention program
When: Sat Jan 9 11am – 12:30pm Eastern Time
When: Sat Jan 9 11am – 12:30pm Eastern Time
The message of the film is one of acceptance of others regardless of their dress, sexual orientation or desire to wear a particular color, said Woloch. That epitomizes what Hannah stood for. “In the movie she said people ask her why she was friends with Josh, and she said, ‘Why not?’” Woloch said. “These are stories of kids who identify as gay, straight, bisexual or whatever,” she said. “It’s about the biases we have and the determinations we make based on nothing. Hers was just acceptance and love. Acceptance for who they are.” Hannah’s father, the Rev. Richard Landers, a retired Baptist minister, said the documentary is well-done. ...The film is intended as a starting point for discussions...
10 comments:
Thank you for printing this, Dr. Day.
This film will help to publicize the plight of gay, lesbian, and transgendered teens. Maybe one day these kids will not be overlooked by those who claim, "It's about kids."
Thanks for being an advocate for students like Josh Shipman.
It seems to me that school should be a place where every kid gets to play - and be safe.
I had the opportunity to view the above-mentioned film today. The theater was packed.
It seemed there was a lot of community interest on a day when most people were getting readu for the Georgia game. There were some notable absences: Ernesto Scorsone, Jim Gray, and Stu Silberman.
At one point in the film, a girl who studied with Josh at Dunbar High School reported that after the principal announced the suicide of Josh Shipman, several students actually cheered durung the morning announcements.
We clearly have a long way to go, and the leaders of our schools have a lot of work to do to get us there.
I genuinely believe if you were the superintendent of schools here in Lexington, you would fight to make school a safe place....
Since you are not, I hope our school leaders will read this column.
My comments on this coming Monday morning.
Martin, have you seen the film?
I also was in attendance, and it was indeed packed. However, I must mention that I did see Ernesto Scorsone in the lobby. The film was great.
Dear Matt,
Thanks I missed Ernesto Scorsone in the auditorium. Did he go in the theater and watch the film? I'm pleased he was there.
I hope we can get those who care about fairness for gay and lesbian kids to lobby the public schools and bombard them with letters about the harassment gay students receive. Even students who are perceived as gay get it, and straight administrators don't know what to do. Perhaps someone would address the diversity council at Fayette County Schools or address the Board during the community comment section. As a teacher, I am afraid to take on my employer.
Please understand that most schools have no language of inclusion for gay, lesbian, and trans-gendered students. The problems these kids face are often too horrible to describe, especially boys perceived as feminine and girls perceived as masculine.
I hope Josh Shipman's story will encourage one of the Fairness groups to address the Board of Education.
...couple of things.
I would caution against putting too much emphasis on leaders being present at every event. Had Scorsone not made it Saturday, it would not have diminished his prior stances in my mind.
As for school administrators, aside from the tremendous pressure that can be brought to bear, the principle of simple justice ought to be applicable throughout the school.
It is never OK to bully, and harassment is not justifible because a person is different. A principal must be able to make school a safe place. Then perhaps, we can discuss those differences, agree, disagree, and do so respectfully in a way that promotes learning and where noone has to die.
Where is Martin Cothran's comment. As an educator, I look to him for both guidance and wisdom on the issue of human sexuality.
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