GroundSpark is a non-profit filmmaking company that makes educational documentaries. Headed by filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, GroundSpark produced the groundbreaking 1999 film It’s Elementary, and the sequel It’s Still Elementary, re-interviewing the original participants. Last year it released the powerful, Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up, a film aimed at showing kids in grades 9 through 12 how homophobia, stereotypes, and bullying hurt everyone, including straight kids. (You can read my post about the film here.)
In response to the recent rash of suicides by gay teens, GroundSpark is making many of their films available for free, by streaming online. This is the perfect opportunity for teachers and parents to pop some popcorn and talk about really important stuff with the kids they care about.
Click on the video to see a trailer and read the message at GroundSpark.org. While you’re there, consider donating. They do great work filling a significant education gap.
Today kids across America are participating in a National Day of Silence today as a way of bringing attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.
Each year this event has grown, now with hundreds of thousands of students coming together to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.
I know there will be lots of discussion today about horrific acts of violence that have been committed against LGBT youth. However, I think it’s important, on memorial days like today, to step back and take a look at the broader picture.
When talking about homophobia, it’s important to keep in mind that homophobia effects everybody, including straight people.
In fact, homophobia can be thought of as the “silent hate” because it’s not based on skin color, ethnicity, accent, religion, country or origin, or any other identifying marker. The enormous underlying discomfort with homosexuality lies in the fact anyone can be gay, out or not, and this makes people squeamish
Because of this, I think it’s not enough to call attention to the hatred perpetrated on individuals in our community. We need to continue to look at the impact homophobia has on our society as a whole.
I firmly believe that the more we work for LGBT equality in every area of life, the less impact homophobia has on everyone.
I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating:
Last year, I attended a fundraiser for GroundSpark Productions, an educational documentary film company that produced the groundbreaking 1999 film It’s Elementary, and the sequel It’s Still Elementary, re-interviewing the original participants.
This trailer features a powerful segment about Latino boys shopping for clothes. The kids didn’t choose their clothes based on their personal taste preference, instead they intentionally chose clothes that were baggy, that hid the outlines of their bodies, and were in somber colors. Why? Because they didn’t want to look gay or be perceived as gay. The realization that societal homophobia was driving the actions of a group of straight teens was a powerful eye-opener about how hate and prejudice affect everyone, not just the targeted group.
Everytime a straight person changes their behavior in some way – a man doesn’t hug a grieving friend, a woman denies the opportunity for a close, intimate friendship, a boy worries about being taunted for taking a dance class, or a girl changes her major to something less “masculine” – they’re affected by homophobia.
Please check out GroundSpark’s work here and read more about these films and how you can bring copies to a school or community near you. I think the work they’re doing is really important.
While I appreciate the idea of focusing on LGBT issues, we need to continue working toward making them non-issues. That’s when society as a whole will benefit.
A new advertising and public relations campaign produced by the Ad Council in conjunction with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), seeks to target homophobic language in teens. As the campaign points out, there are more than 80,100 on-line sites containing the phrase “that’s so gay,” intended to be an insult. The campaign’s website, ThinkB4YouSpeak.com, contains information for teens, parents, and educators, and hopes to educate about the power of language, and how painful these words can be, especially to a young person struggling with his/her sexual identity. The campaign also extends into social network sites, using mediums such as Facebook and YouTube to spread its message.
This past spring, I attended a fundraiser for GroundSpark Productions, an educational documentary film company that produced the groundbreaking 1999 film It’s Elementary, and the sequel It’s Still Elementary, re-interviewing the original participants. One of the film clips shown that day, from a new film called Straightlaced, featured a powerful segment about Latino boys shopping for clothes. The kids didn’t choose their clothes based on their personal taste preference, instead they intentionally chose clothes that were baggy, that hid the outlines of their bodies, and were in somber colors. Why? Because they didn’t want to look gay or be perceived as gay. The realization that societal homophobia was driving the actions of a group of straight teens was a powerful eye-opener about how hate and prejudice affect everyone, not just the targeted group. Check out GroundSpark’s work here and read more about these films and how you can bring copies to a school or community near you.
You’re invited to a wedding. GroundSpark, a film production company that makes documentaries about social issues, was invited to make a video of the historic marriage of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, the two women who were the first same-sex couple to be married following the California Supreme Court’s historic decision last spring. Martin and Lyon were also plaintiffs in the court case that resulted in the decision.
Their wedding was the state’s legitimization of a relationship that spanned more than 55 years.
Then, in late August, Del Martin died at the age of 87.
You can see the film here, on the GroundSpark website. While you’re there, I encourage you to stick around and read about some of the organization’s other notable films, including the landmark It’s Elementary.
Because it’s organized as a nonprofit, you’ll also find a “donate now” button the GroundSpark site. I encourage you to use it!.
GroundSpark is a non-profit filmmaking company that makes educational documentaries. Headed by filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, GroundSpark produced the groundbreaking 1999 film It’s Elementary, and the sequel It’s Still Elementary, re-interviewing the original participants. Last year it released the powerful, Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up, a film aimed at showing kids in grades 9 through 12 how homophobia, stereotypes, and bullying hurt everyone, including straight kids. (You can read my post about the film here.)
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