Your Thoughts

I grew up in a place just like this! I know you hear that all of the time.

It’s a beautiful place in MI.  MI is so green and lush, no mountains but with an amazing amount of water. 

I didn’t have a sexuality exactly when I was growing up.  But I was a fat, very smart, girl who was never asked out but I had friends, sort of.  One was a boy that eventually told me that he’d had a sexual encounter with an older boy and thought he might be gay.  He could never have come out in the community that we lived in though he fell in love with another boy and told him, of course Randy was then shunned.  Randy tried so hard to be hetero-.  He finally moved away and fell in love and lived in Phoenix for years.  His partner ended up dying of AIDS and then Randy was diagnosed and he went hom to his parents to die. 

I knew one other boy (now man) who was gay in my HS but I don’t think that anyone else knew, they kept it that well hidden.

These two boys wouldn’t have been tolerated in that community.  They still wouldn’t be tolerated in that community.  There are NO people of color, any color from anywhere, living in that community still.  I know what small town communities are like and they are scary.  I believe that I was depressed until the age of 22. 

Thank you for fighting the good fight.  We are taught that if one is good, doesn’t lie, respects others, and works hard then all good things will follow; that’s a lie that some kids find out much too young.

Thank you so much for producing this. It has showed me that there shouldn’t be anything holding me back from being who I am. The stories were touching, and pulls at the heart strings. I hope that one day they will not see our life as just an agenda, but as an opportunity to learn, grow, and accept difference everywhere. Good luck with everything. Thank you again, for representing. You have my support.

Wow, I cried, for the mother for the child.  I am a bi-sexual mother of three.  I live in your hometown, the one in the film.  I have so much I want to say…. I just can’t right now.  As word gets spread around, my children are no longer invited to friends houses, events their friends have are hidden from us.  School teachers are strained when talking to me, and people I have known my entire life, for 35 years will not talk to me.  I had an old church member whom I have known and loved m entire life run from me at a grocery store.  I have cried more as a mother watching who I am affect my children than I ever did as a child struggling to figure out what was different with me.  Even my husband who claims to be open minded (and is for this area) says it is OK for women to be gay, but it is just wrong for men.  Nothing I say will change his mind.  I cry so much, and no one understands, no one.  Thank You for showing me there are people who understand, even if I will never have someone near me who does.  I hope someday you will be in this library talking, I will give you a big hug, I promise!

This documentary is absolutely beautiful and encapsulates the struggles that LGBTQI individuals experience in small towns and the bias within the queer community against rural places. There’s much activism and work to be done in small communities like Oil city across the country, but it is comforting to see that change is happening, slowly and surely.

When I first got this DVD, I thought it would be an interesting documentery, something new to show at my diversity group.  When I realized it was relatively local, I was floored and at the same time thrilled.  PA is a funny little state.  Especially in the northeast area, where there are so many people that have moved here from NY or NJ, the people are so much more accepting.  However, seeing how different the perspectives are from area to area was fascinating.  I can’t wait to see the movie again when you guys come to Milford in September!  Keep up the amazing work. 

Michael

I loved your movie! It was really touching and very educational. It made me think a lot about what other LGBT teens/people are doing and going through. I’m 17 and I live in a pretty small town maybe a little bit bigger than Oil City but I am out to my friends and relatives, BESIDES THE ADULTS and ESPECIALLY NOT MY PARENTS YET. With my culture I don’t think they will understand. I remember once when I was a kid I hopped on the computer and typed in “guys.com” but when the page came up I got scared and closed it and ran off.  Then, life went on and I was in 7th grade. That’s when I really started having thoughts about men. But at the time I had trouble fitting in so I got into a lot of trouble and somehow blocked those thoughts for two years. I finally realized and came out when I was in 9th grade. The first person I told was my school counselor and after that I just started telling people close to me. I was tired of lying to everyone and pretending to be someone I wasn’t. It felt GREAT when I came out because I could finally be me. Now, I’ll be graduating high school this year and I’m trying to get more people to join the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) Club to stop the ignorance and educate more people about the LGBTQ community. I plan on sharing your film with the GSA Club when school starts over here. I think it would be great. I just felt so touched by your film that I wanted to share with you guys a part of my story. But I just thought I would comment you guys. Thank You! A LOT! You guys did a FANTASTIC job! I hope more people get to see your film.

I caught this a couple of times on the local PBS station this weekend and think it is a brilliant piece of work.  I lived in W. PA for many years and this film perfectly captures the culture of the area.

I hope more people see it and can appreciate that although there is evidence of moves toward equality in the big cities, there are still plenty of small towns that have not moved an inch.  Even the people who are tolerant and open minded in those towns are targets simply for not persecuting people who do not “toe the line.”

Just experienced the documentary and All I can say is THANK YOU about Eight hundred thousand times.

A smart, provocative, original, illuminating, well balanced, uplifting, inspiring, heart warming and just a very well done film.  Everybody should view this fine work.  Hope all continues to go well for CJ, Mom et al.

CONGRATULATIONS Joe, Dean and associates!!

This movie was absolutely amazing. I feel extremely lucky to have gone to a school where being gay/bi/trans/etc. was for the most part accepted, and it makes me so angry when I come across people that just don’t understand. Several times during the movie I wanted nothing more than to just SHAKE those people that didn’t lift a finger to change things.

I don’t know what I would have done if I was in CJ’s position. I don’t think I’d have been able to deal with things as well as he did, and I respect him so much for trying so hard.

Beautiful movie. Everyone who knows someone who is LGBT should see this.