Homophobia in Rural America

categories: LGBT Youth, Marriage Equality

Published July 23, 2009 @ 07:37AM PT

Country Roads

Remember Barack Obama's famous line from the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when he first burst onto the public stage? It went a little something like this:

We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.

And some of those gay friends in the red states (or at least the red parts of some blue states) have been busy putting together a documentary meant to shed light on the issue of LGBT rights and homophobia in rural America. That's the goal of a new film by two rural Western Pennsylvania residents, Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, called "Out in the Silence."

What's the story of Wilson and Hamer? Well, the couple traveled to Canada a few years ago to tie the knot. Upon returning to the U.S., the couple placed their wedding announcement in two Western Pennsylvania newspaper, the Oil City Derrick and the News-Herald. (Turns out Western Pennsylvania was where one of the grooms grew up.)

Seeing two men list a wedding announcement in rural Pennsylvania papers was enough to send some rabid anti-LGBT folks over the edge. Hate mail ensued, including one local resident who used the wedding announcement as a call to arms for a federal marraige amendment.

After seeing the direction that even our community might be going, I know how imperative it is for the Federal Marriage Amendment to be passed. All Christians need to stand up for what they know is right in God’s eyes, and stop this atrocity. The Bible was written as a set of rules for us to follow, not a set of general ideas for us to interpret however we want to fit our own lifestyles.

Homophobic diatribes like this one continued to pour in. But so did supportive letters, as well as letters asking Wilson and Hamer for help. One of those letters came from the parent of a gay teenager, who had been forced to drop out of school because of anti-LGBT bullying. It's this story which makes up the premise of "Out in the Silence."

Hamer and Wilson take their cameras and travel back to Western Pennsylvania, documenting the trials and tribulations that one family - a mother and her gay son - face in trying to combat homophobia both within their rural community and within the public school system.

The film is going to be telecast throughout Pennsylvania PBS stations in 2009, and will eventually hit TVs nationwide in 2010. The filmmakers are also touring the country right now, with stops coming up in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Below is a trailer for the film.

On a personal note, sometimes living in the bluest of blue states causes me to forget the struggles that queer people face in areas of the country where George W. Bush is a revered figure and where schools still close on the first day of hunting season. Concidentally, I grew up 45 minutes from where this film takes place, and can remember the controversy first stirred when local papers started covering same-sex weddings and started listing same-sex personal ads. Needless to say, the letters that poured into local papers were anything but tolerant.

That's why it's really special to see Hamer and Wilson take the homophobic sentiments that their wedding announcement stirred, and turn them into a film that has the power to change minds and hearts on the issue of LGBT rights. Bravo.

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Comments (6)

I can't wait to see this film. I hope it starts to open some hearts and minds. I feel that we have come a long way but still have far to go before we're anywhere near achieving equality in a country that prides itself on equal rights and "liberty and justice for all".

I admire the work you are doing. Your website is informative and very well-written. Keep up your hard work!

Posted by Matt Kanoon on 07/23/2009 @ 08:00AM PT
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Wilson and Hamer are doing the correct thing by directing the documentary film "Out in the Silence" to show the struggles which the LGBT community in rural areas go through. It's unfortunate that the person who was in high school dropped out because of anti-LGBT bullying. This documentary film will have the positive effect of building up the LGBT rights movement in the rural United States because the LGBT community everywhere in the U.S. must receive equality.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 07/23/2009 @ 05:41PM PT
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Thats gonna be a blockbuster for sure and one we ALL should watch.

Are gonna put it on DVD ?

Posted by Reverend Boony on 07/23/2009 @ 06:08PM PT
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Thanks for posting this story about OUT IN THE SILENCE. It's been an incredible journey for us, and we hope the film will be a powerfull tool for change in small town and rural America. The film will be available on DVD this fall. You can sign up for updates at the website http://outinthesilence.com

Posted by Dean Hamer on 07/23/2009 @ 06:50PM PT
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hello sylv's i read your comment and as a friend i tell you that you are very nice person and if you don't get any partner for that don't take tension god made someone special for you.

Real Estate--Real Estate

Posted by Friendy Anil on 07/24/2009 @ 05:02PM PT
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Wow, I really want to see this! I can't wait for it to come out. I'm about 45 minutes outside of Philly and also 45 minutes outside of Lancaster... so it's a strange mix in the town. The town's stuck between a town that deals drugs and the town that gives it to them. Yet, we can't be fully open about our sexuality in the town, but that seems a lot worse than it is here.

Posted by Amber Bauer on 07/25/2009 @ 12:02AM PT
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Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He is the former Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, as well as the former Director of Communications for Pax Christi USA, a national Catholic peace and justice organization. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and he is also a proud sketch comedy writer.