By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) June 26 | Out in the Silence captures the remarkable chain of events that unfold when the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson’s journey dramatically illustrates the universal challenges of being an outsider in a conservative environment and the transformation that is possible when those who have long been constrained by a traditional code of silence summon the courage to break it.
The aim of Out in the Silence is to expand public awareness about the difficulties that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people face in rural and small town America and to promote dialogue and action that will help people on all sides of the issues find common ground.
Storyline:
A gray winter sky hangs over lonely city streets, rusted oil derricks, and falling-down factories. Welcome to Oil City, Pa., a fading industrial town in the heart of the American rustbelt.
Oil City is the type of town that President Obama had in mind when he made his now infamous comments about bitter small town residents clinging to their religion and prejudices.
Oil City is ignited by a firestorm of controversy when Joe Wilson, filmmaker and Oil City native, announces his same-sex marriage in the local newspaper. The announcement catches the attention of Kathy Springer, a local woman whose gay teenage son, C.J., is being brutally abused at school. With nowhere else to turn, Springer seeks help from Wilson—the only openly gay person she knows from the town.
With camera in hand, Wilson and his partner, Dean Hamer, return to Oil City to engage with traditional values activists, conservative politicians, local leadership, and townsfolk. They confront school authorities, follow the trials and tribulations of a grassroots effort to promote diversity and tolerance, and form an unlikely and transformative friendship with an Evangelical preacher.
Out in the Silence takes viewers on a very personal journey through rural America as the battle over gay visibility and equality unfolds over a three-year period.
The film portrays, with emotion and candor from all sides, the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in rural communities across America, and it depicts the change that is possible when people search for what they have in common rather than what sets them apart.
Major Support for the film was provided by Penn State Public Broadcasting & The Sundance Institute in affiliation with qWaves Documentary Films.
For further information or to purchase a dvd or download the film please visit Out In Silence:[here]
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