The third annual "Out of the Closet and onto the Screen” film series centering on the theme “The Many Meanings of Family” begins on Thursday, September 1, with a showing of Camp Lavender Hill.
Winner of many honors, including the National Educational Media Network's Apple award, this 1997 documentary chronicles the first summer camp in the United States for children with gay and lesbian parents. The film will be shown at 7:00 p.m. in Textor 102.
Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services, the series will present documentaries that explore the complex ways in which sexual orientation, identity, and family intersect. A total of five films will be shown during the fall semester. Other films will be scheduled during the spring. All are free and open to the public.
The additional fall offerings are listed below.
Thursday, September 15
7:00 p.m., Textor 103
De Colores
Shown in conjunction with Latino/Latina History Month, De Colores is a documentary about ways Latino families are replacing the deep roots of homophobia with the even deeper roots of love and tolerance. Moving personal stories tell how families are breaking cultural barriers and how love always prevails.
Thursday, October 20
7:00 p.m., Textor 103
In My Shoes -- Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents
This is the Ithaca premier of a film recently released by COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere), the only international organization specifically supporting young people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender parents. At a time when LGBT families are a source of controversial debate in the media, courts, and Congress, five young people share their experiences and views on marriage, making change, and what it means to be a family.
Wednesday, November 30
7:00 p.m., Textor 102
No Dumb Questions
This lighthearted and poignant documentary profiles three sisters, ages 6, 9, and 11, struggling to understand why and how their Uncle Bill is becoming a woman. These girls love their Uncle Bill, but will they feel the same way when he becomes their new Aunt Barbara? With just weeks until Bill's first visit as Barbara, the sisters navigate the complex territories of anatomy, sexuality, personality, gender, and fashion. Their reactions are funny, touching, and distinctly different. This film offers a fresh perspective on a complex situation from a family that insists there are no dumb questions.
Thursday, December 1,
7:00 p.m., Textor 103
One + One
Shown in conjunction with World AIDS Day, One + One is a powerful film about two couples of mixed HIV status (serodiscordant) living with HIV and AIDS. This poignant film explores the relationships of two HIV serodiscordant couples, one straight and the other gay, giving insights into how the couples cope with the difficult task of living with HIV on a daily basis, and the deep bond they share because of it.
For more information on the series, contact Lisa Maurer, LGBT center coordinator, at 274-7394 or lmaurer@ithaca.edu.
