All language subtitles for Out.in.the.Silence.2009.EXTENDED.1080p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG.Eng

Man: I've lived in
Washington, D.C., for 20 years.

It's where I met Dean,
playing pick-up basketball,

And made a life
for myself.

But no matter how long
you've been away from home

Or how much you've changed,
the place where you were

Born and raised always stays
somewhere deep inside.

For me, that place
was Oil City,

A small town
with small-town values

In the hills
of western Pennsylvania.

I was the youngest
in a big irish catholic family.

Mom was a nurse,
and dad was

Custodian at the catholic
school we all attended.

We didn't have much money,
but life was good,

And I didn't have a care
in the world.

As I got older, I started
to feel different.

By the time I was a teen,
I knew I was gay.

Terrified of losing my friends
and maybe even my family,

I kept silent

And managed to get by.

As soon as I graduated
high school,

I got out of town.

I went off to college,

Joined the Peace Corps,
and found myself

Identifying with others who had
been silenced.

I ended up in Washington, D.C.

When Dean and I fell in love
and got married,

I decided to do
what I wish

I could have done
a long time ago --

Be open about who I was
back in my hometown.

I put our wedding announcement
in the Oil City paper,

The Derrick.

It didn't take long

For the letters
to start pouring in.

Woman:
"Editor: Common sense tells us

Marriage is between
a man and a woman."

Man: "I am shaking with anger
as I write this."

Woman:
"I was sick to my stomach

When I saw and read
the announcement..."

Man:
"Homosexuality is immoral."

Man: "It would be better
for you not to have been born.

Think about that."

The reactions
to my wedding announcement

Were discouraging, but they
didn't really surprise me.

Then I got a letter
I didn't expect.

"Dear Mr. Wilson,
I searched

"for your address
in Washington, D.C.,

"after I saw your wedding
announcement in the paper.

"I'm the mother
of a 16-year-old boy

"who is being treated unjustly
because he is gay.

"I was told you were
born and raised in Oil City,

"so I feel
a connection to you.

"Last night, my son,
C.J., cried for three hours

"after being abused in public
because of being gay.

"I'm so afraid for him.

"I don't know where else
to turn.

"Please help if you can.

Sincerely,
Kathy Springer."

Kathy's letter
made me realize

That the controversy
about our wedding announcement

Wasn't just
about gay marriage.

It was about
the very existence

Of openly gay people
in Oil City.

Here it was, 25 years after
my own fear of being found out

Forced me to live in silence,
and it didn't seem

To be any easier
to be gay in my hometown.

I wanted to go back
to Oil City and see

If there was anything
Dean and I could do to help.

Documenting people's stories

Seemed like a good place
to start.

So I asked Dean
to grab the camera.

♫ I dreamed of fires burning ♫

♫ low ♫

♫ in my head ♫

♫ on a map below ♫

♫ like an old friend ♫

♫ that I used to know ♫

♫ I've got seven hours ♫

♫ and 15 miles to go ♫

♫ instead ♫

♫ and ain't it good ♫

♫ to be back home? ♫

Young man:
This was my school.

Every day when the bus stopped

And I walked through that door
to my locker

Became eight hours
of pure hell.

Wilson:
What went on in there?

Well, kids would come by,
hit me with my locker,

I'd fall on the ground,

My books
would fly everywhere.

I was slammed
into the lockers,

Hit with stuff,
being yelled, "faggot."

Yep.

This hall
was always lovely.

I'd have to walk
through a crowd

of kids, and there would
always definitely be

some tripping going on
or shoving or pushing.

Grab my backpack
and yanking me,

And stupid stuff.

What did you feel inside

When that kind of stuff
was happening?

Terrified.
Nobody cared.

None of the teachers
cared.

None of
the administrators cared.

They always gave
a deaf ear

And a blind eye.

They'd watch everything,
never say a word.

Wilson:
I wanted to understand

What was behind the anti-gay
sentiment in the area.

It seemed like
talking with people

Who denounced our wedding
announcement in the paper

Would be a logical place
to start.

Only one couple
agreed to be interviewed --

Pastor Mark Micklos
and his wife, Diana.

If I grant two men
the right to get married,

What's wrong with incest?

Or polygamy or --
and it would just,

Just expand,
and I think that things --

I think at times
we've seen that happen.

In plumbing,
there's fittings,

and they're called
male and female fittings.

And you could probably

plumb a house
with all male fittings,

but it seems like the design
is for male and female.

Not for two likes
to be together.

It was hard to listen to what
the Micklosses were saying,

But the fact that they
invited us to their home

and we were talking
seemed like an opening.

When I asked them why
they had taken the trouble

to write about
our wedding announcement,

they told me that their church
had received an alert

that asked members
to write in protest.

It was sent
by the Pennsylvania arm

Of the American Family
Association,

A conservative values
organization

based in Mississippi.

How did they key in

on our little wedding
announcement so fast?

It turns out that the AFA's
chapter president,

Diane Gramley,
lives right there in the area

and has a program
on a local radio station.

Woman: Welcome to

"American Family Focus
on Pennsylvania issues,"

A weekly program
which discusses

some of the happenings
that are of concern

to the family
and those who hold

traditional values
in Pennsylvania.

And now your host,

Diane Gramley, State Director
of American Family Association

of Pennsylvania.

Gramley: The question
comes down to:

should a lifestyle that will
result in the destruction

Of traditional marriage
and the natural family --

not even mentioning

the physical, mental,
and psychological dangers

to those involved
in this lifestyle --

be normalized and codified
into the laws of the land?

Those involved in this
lifestyle are sinners,

and they need to accept
the saving grace

of Jesus Christ,
just like you and me.

Wilson: Back when
I was growing up,

People didn't talk about
lifestyle so openly.

And at my house,

sexuality or being gay
wasn't discussed at all.

Even though right on our street,

just two doors down
from our house,

we had a neighbor with
a rainbow flag on her door.

Woman: I've lived
in this community

since I was 17 years old,
and I've always been open.

I mean, I never wore
my sexuality on a sleeve,

but people always
knew who I was.

Nobody was ever negative to me,
except one occasion.

I was hired at this firm,

and I worked there
about six months,

and then the president
of the company,

after the Christmas party --
and I took my partner --

came in a few days later
and fired me.

Said he couldn't have the likes

of somebody like me
working for the company.

Okay.

Be good, you guys.

Come here.
Come on.

This is my house

where my stepdad
sells smelly birds.

Wilson: "choo-kers?"
chukars or something like that?
Chukars.

Chukars, quails,
and pheasants.

Probably stinks.

Yeah, it stinks.

Okay, the smell is
a little too much.

Okay, it's a little
too real.

That is not a place for --

Bills: The first day we came
back from Christmas vacation,

this kid, Richie,,

who everybody's known
he was gay since, like,

the day he was born,
came back to school.

And I went into
my history class,

last period of the day,

and some kid stood up
and came over to him --

'cause he was
standing by the door

'cause he didn't have
a seat or anything yet --

and some kid was like,
"hey, are you a faggot?"

And I stood up,
and I got in his face,

and I was like,
"why you got to call him that?

"What did he do to you?

"he's just standing there,
hasn't said a word to anybody.

Leave him alone."

And he's like, "What? So are
you a hard-ass homo then?"

He's like, "You think
you can take me?"

And I was like, "Dude,
I might be a faggot,

but I'm more of a man
than you'll be."

And he's like,
"So you're admitting it?"

And I was like,
"I am admitting

"that if you say another
word to me like that again,

I am going to take
your teeth out."

There was a lot he
didn't even tell me,

you know, at first,

because he'd come home,

and he'd be real quiet,
and he'd go to his room,

and he wouldn't
come out for hours.

I said, "You know, c.J.,

"there is nothing you could
possibly be in this world

that would ever make
me stop loving you."

So then, finally,
one day, he says,

"I'm tired of denying
who I am,

"and I'm tired
of the abuse

"and the harassment
that gays take,

"and I'm just
coming out with it.

I don't care."

Wilson: Kathy had mentioned
on the phone that c.J.

wanted to make videos himself,
so we gave him a camera

and helped him get started
by filming one of his friends.

Hamer: And if you want
a close-up,

you go like that.

Oops. Or whatever.

And if you want far away,
you go like that.

So you try it.
Film something.

That's awesome.

I was hoping c.J.
Would use his new camera

to shine some light

on what life was like
for him as a gay teen.

For practice, I asked him
to join us at a concert

I helped to organize
featuring Namoli Brennet.

Namoli's a transgendered
musician.

She's also from a small town
and lives her life very openly.

Maybe it was
the activist in me,

but I thought she might
be an inspiration

for folks in Oil City.

♫ You don't know when
you're gonna find me ♫

♫ You don't know when
you're gonna take me ♫

♫ home ♫

♫ home ♫

Wilson: Oil City became
a real boomtown back in 1859

when colonel Edwin Drake

drilled the first oil well
in the United States.

The area had about 100 years of
growth and prosperity,

but by the time I came along,
the wells had dried up,

and jobs and people
were moving out.

It had become the sort
of rust belt town

that time seemed
to be leaving behind,

Where things didn't change much

and outsiders were viewed
with suspicion.

Like many small towns,

Oil City is trying
to make a comeback.

If it can figure out

how to use
its small-town spirt

to make everyone
feel welcome there,

it just might happen.

Brennet: ♫ I can be ♫

♫ myself ♫

♫ and no one else ♫

♫ goes home ♫

Thanks, everybody.

Wilson: The biggest event
of the year in Oil City

is the oil heritage parade.

Most people come out
to watch their kids March

or their friends ride around
silly floats.

Even in the pouring rain.

So I wasn't expecting to see
an anti-gay marriage protest

led by none other
than Diane Gramley

of the American
Family Association.

She'd already refused
several requests

to be formally interviewed,

so I tried a more
direct approach.

Hi, Diane.
How are you?

Fine, and you?

I'm not going to be part
of your documentary.

Yeah, we just wanted
to know why

You're so actively seeking

to discriminate against
gay and lesbian people.

We talked about it
on the phone.

Well, why do you think
that they don't deserve

to live freely
in society as you do?

They have every right
to live freely,

and they are living
freely in society.

I would like to know why
you encourage children

to participate in
a dangerous lifestyle.

Hey, Joe,
how you doing?

Good, and you?
Nice to see you.

Good seeing you.
Yeah.

Gramley: There've been
homosexuals throughout society,

but they have not attempted

to redefine marriage
and family as they are today.

Everything else with gay
people is okay, right?

They can teach school.

If they have a job,
and they're doing their job,

they have every right
to have that job.

And they could be out on
the job and tell people

that they're gay
when they're asked?

No, 'cause that's
promoting a lifestyle.

Well, I know that.

Wilson: Things had
become increasingly bad

at c.J.'s high school.

When he finally complained about
the abuse he was receiving,

the assistant principal
blamed him for the trouble

and called the State Police.

Kathy decided to take c.J.
out of school

and go to the school board
for answers.

All: One nation under God,

Indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all.

Woman: Any other
business to enter?

My name's --
oh, I'm sorry.

Please state your name
for the record.

My name is Kathy Springer.

Have you implemented,

or are you
going to implement

a change in how
discrimination is handled

in this school district?

I recently had
to pull my son out

because of discrimination
and how it was handled.

Are you -- is there a better
way of handling things?

Man: Ma'am, do me a favor.
Will you give me a call?

Okay? This isn't
the time to --

I just, as a taxpayer,
wanted to know if --

you know, should I decide
to send my son back?

Are there going
to be any changes?

That's all.

There have been
discussions taking place,

and there
have been issues

not only with myself
and Mr. Richmond,

Mr. Forrester,
and the other principals,

so I don't know
if that's --

But, please, feel free
to give me a call, okay?

It was like, "oh, god,

give her her five minutes
and get her out of here."

I really don't see that they've
seen us as a threat or anything.

We were just an annoyance.

Mm-hmm.

Wilson: Shortly after
kathy's appearance,

the school board did
propose a plan

for inclusive
anti-discrimination training.

But there was suddenly
an unusual amount

of opposition from
the community,

especially from
an African-American Pastor

who wanted the training
to focus only on race

and not even mention
sexual orientation.

A Derrick reporter discovered

the reason for
the racial outcry.

Diane Gramley had sent out
another action alert.

This one accused
the school district

of trying to hijack civil rights
to promote homosexuality.

The diversity training
never happened.

I have to admit,
in this environment,

it was a clever strategy

to pit one minority group
against another.

I'll tell you
what we're doing.

We got married
a couple years ago,

and we put our wedding
announcement in the paper,

and it turned into this, like,
controversy or whatever.

I got beat up
about a month ago.

What?
Oh, yeah.

I never thought people
were racist or anything.

I'm Arab, and this girl
wouldn't stop talking crap,

and I faced her in lunch,
and she ploughed me down.

There was blood
all over me.

I didn't have a chance.

This place is rough.

If you are not a man

with white skin

and who likes to do
the missionary position,

it's over.

Wilson: Although gay
people are everywhere,

we're not always visible.

Roxanne and some of her friends

wanted to change that
in Oil City.

They put together a volunteer
group to participate

in community activities
like town cleanup day.

What are you guys up
to today?

Man: Everybody that's
driving by thinks

that we're on work release
and that's why we're out here.

Wilson:
Would you mind saying

a little bit of
a word right now?

Just being out in
the community doing something,

just helping.

It's kind of a nasty day,
but we did it anyway.

Hey, Greg.

What?

Can you say
a little bit

about what
you're doing today?

Wilson: Cleanup day was supposed
to be a community-wide event,

but we only saw
one other volunteer

who wasn't part
of Roxanne's group.

So I asked her,

"If there were a visible gay
and lesbian group in Oil City

would anyone in
the community object?"

I guess you're going to have
radicals everywhere,

and they'll find a way to
articulate what bothers them.

But how can you target people
who are doing something good?

You know?

Brennet: ♫ Ain't it good
to be back home? ♫

Me being me?
Yeah..

I definitely
want to see that.

Oh, no.

C.J., is there
anything on there

you don't want me to see?

Is this on?

Hello out there.

Okay.

Boy: That hurt?

♫ I'm feeling so unique ♫

♫ I'm feeling really funky ♫

♫ I kind of like this beat ♫

♫ could this be a dream? ♫

♫ Sometimes it's hard
to tell the difference ♫

♫ I made ♫

♫ too many hazy nights ♫

♫ too many lonely days ♫

Stop, c.J.

♫ set me free ♫

♫ set me free ♫

♫ come on and set me free ♫

♫ I got to set me free ♫

Jesus Christ!

I think I got spina bifida.
Cut.

I know.

Boy: He went "Oops."

Wilson: How do you feel,
as a parent,

that the cyber school
is the option --

that I had to turn to?

I don't like the idea, no.

My son, I wanted him to
be able to be involved

with all the other
school activities,

the camaraderie,
you know, everything,

the prom, the whole schmear,
you know.

And I feel
that he was gypped.

He doesn't have
that interaction

That I think he needs.

Wilson: I was hoping
that the camera

would help c.J.'s education.

I asked him to film something

a little more
intellectual next time.

Hitchcock: You know, one thing
about living in a small town

is that the gene pool
is so limited.

You know, trying to meet
somebody is really hard.

Wilson: So who's this special
lady that's in your life?

Her name is linda.

Where's she at??

I'll never forget
how excited you were

when I talked to you
on the phone,

and you said,
"oh, I met somebody."

Henderson: Well,
the cool part about it

is everybody's saying
the same thing about me.

People asking me what in
the world's going on

'cause I'm running
around smiling a lot.

You know,
all of the sudden,

I've been telling people
I have a family now.

Hitchcock: In some ways, she's
the total opposite of me.

You know, I can be aggressive
and antagonistic,

and she's just kind of quiet
and the peacemaker,

and she's just calm.

And she's very gifted.
She's great with people.

She is the best thing
that ever happened to me.

Henderson:
♫ I was with George Washington ♫

♫ one night at valley forge ♫

♫ "why do the soldiers
freeze here like they do?" ♫

♫ he said,
"men will suffer, fight ♫

♫ "even die for what is right ♫

♫ "even though they know ♫

♫ they're only
passing through" ♫

♫ passing through ♫

♫ passing through ♫

♫ sometimes happy,
sometimes blue ♫

♫ glad that I ran into you ♫

♫ I've some little time ♫

♫ now I'm just
passing through ♫

Wilson: Whoo.

Beautiful voice.

Thank you.

Did you look
at a lot of cars,

or is this, you know,
just kind of came up?

Yeah, like I got a couple
grand to throw around

on a nice,
fancy-schmancy car.

$150.
That was it.

It wasn't even
into the 200s.

Still have to get a new
exhaust, battery, tires,

the title transferred,
my license,

and then I'll be
on the road.

I don't think I'll
probably ever be able

to, like, walk down
through the streets

of anywhere around here.

I used to have, like,
a reputation and stuff

as a bad-ass
and all this stuff,

but right now,
my life consists

of being around my animals
and my garage

with my mommy.

What are you
thinking about?

What am I thinking about?

When you're sitting
here in your car.

Nothing, really.

Eventually,
once in a while, wondering

if this thing will actually
ever leave this garage.

Hey. How are you?

Wilson: I wasn't sure
if we would hear

from Pastor Micklos again,

but when he called to invite us
to lunch with his family,

I thought I'd see
where it would lead.

When you contacted me
or I contacted you

or however it occurred,

one of the things
that I prayed

was that you would
see Christ in us.

I just don't see my life through
a Christian framework.

That's just not how I want
to view the world, you know.

But can we,
at some point though,

get to a point where
we respect that

and respect each other?

Well, no.

I mean, I can respect
your Christian beliefs,

but if

some of those beliefs

are aimed at limiting

other people's full
participation in society,

No, I can't respect that.

I have to struggle
against that.

I can respect
the Mark Micklos that I know

in hopes that he reaches

a higher point
of enlightenment,

and that I would
be his friend,

you know,
through that process.

And that's where we're at.

Yeah.

Bills: What was
your first thought

when I first came out?

My first reaction
was probably...

I was probably shocked.

Why?

Just because --

You think I was
putting on a front?

No. I just didn't really
think you'd come out.

Laura?

Yes?

Your turn.

You have to ask me
a question.

How did you feel when
Richie first came out?

I was happy
for him and stuff.

You know, I was happy
for you, too,

'cause you finally
came out.

Like, 'cause, you know,
if you're gay,

you've always been gay,
but you finally came out,

so I don't know,
I was just happy for you.

I could never

deny who I am.

I couldn't deny it.

I was trying to find
ways around it,

but people kept
directing the question,

"are you gay?" to my face.

I didn't know what to say,
but I couldn't deny who I was,

so I ended up having --

I ended up saying that,
"you know what, yeah.

So what is it to you?
Big deal."

And I guess it was
a big deal to everybody.

I know that everybody cared
because at that day,

everybody began to hate.

I was no longer anybody
that anyone liked.

Everybody hated c.J. Bills.

Henderson: It's actually
rather phenomenal,

and sometimes a little scary,
that so much has happened

in such a short amount
of time.

Wilson: Roxanne and linda
had decided

to buy and renovate
the Latonia,

a historic theater

that had seen better days.

They wanted to help

revitalize downtown Oil City
by creating

a space for special events.

Hitchcock:
I came in for a massage

One day, and my massage
therapist said,

"you know, the original
chandelier is here --

You gotta go see it."

She loaned me this tiny, little
itty-bitty flashlight,

and I snuck up,
and the door was unlocked.

The room was dark,
and I came in,

and my little heart
just went pitter-patter.

I could not believe something
like that was here in Oil City.

It just seemed almost criminal
to me that it was,

you know, just, just sitting.

Hitchcock: The building
wasn't even really

on the market --
we just called up the guy,

said, "how much do you
want for it?"

He told us, and we said,
"okay."

let's sign papers,

And we just kind of went
from there.

Henderson:
Once it's ready,

there's got to be
a grand opening.

Hitchcock: Yeah, 'cause I don't
think that chandelier

Has been lit up
in probably 50 years.

Wilson: Wow.

Wilson: Since C.J. told me
that he was sticking

pretty close to home to avoid
being hassled,

I hadn't seen him
in a while.

His high school's homecoming

was his first time
out of the house in months.

Here comes c.J. Over there.

He's walking by --
let's go.

What's up, guys?

Hey, what's up, dude?
How you doing?

What's going on?
So how you been?

Pretty peachy.

Yeah?

Place good?

I like your earrings.

Thank you.

Gotta make sure I look cute

when I go out in public.

Where'd the guys go?

They didn't want
to be on camera, huh?

I don't know.
They drifted somewhere.

Wilson: It was great

to see C.J.
out of the house.

But I didn't want to make him
nervous around his friends.

I told him I'd catch up
with him later.

Bills: When I was leaving
the game,

there was a whole group
of skater kids outside,

Like, "are you still gay?"

I went, "I ain't a faggot.
What you talking about?"

And they were like, "oh, okay."

And they just watched me
walk away and stuff,

And I was like,
oh, god -- damn.

Wilson: You know, once you
kind of come out,

I mean, it's hard to, like --

Go back in?

Yeah.

Noticed.

Yeah.

I actually had people
talk to me

on Friday.

I never -- that hasn't happened

since last year.

Wilson: Yeah, we noticed
a lot of people

came up and kind of greeted you,
gave you a hug.

Mm-hmm.

And that's because they think

you're not what
they thought you were?

Mm-mm, cover it up.

At least until I get
away from here.

Springer: You shouldn't have to
live in denial, you know?

But I know
there's been times

Where he wished
he would have just

kept his mouth shut,
and nobody would know, and --

Bills: Oh, every time
I go into public,

I wish I wouldn't ever
opened my mouth.

Every single day.

It's hell.

It's not like D.C.
Or New York,

where everybody's liberal.

I get threatened
to get killed.

That ain't fun.

Hi.

Wilson: I'm here tonight
to say that I'm deeply concerned

at the charges of harassment,
violence, and discrimination

that have ruled the Franklin
school district

for the past year and a half.

Gay students and students
of color at the high school

have been the primary targets
of these activities.

Their ability
to speak for themselves

is greatly hampered by fears

of backlash
if they do so publicly.

Death threats have been issued

against students
in this school district

and it just pains me

that no action
has actually been taken.

So thank you for accepting
these comments

in the public record --
I appreciate it,

and I look forward
to your response.

Woman: Thank you.

Any other visitors
at this time?

Wilson: It was obvious
that the school board

wasn't concerned about C.J.
or any gay student.

But the problem wasn't
just with the school.

Man: It can happen
to your town.

AFA presents a look
at how

a handful of homosexual
activists changed the very

moral fiber of the city.

They are taking over...

Wilson: This video
is being promoted

by a local Christian
radio station

to counter increasingly visible

gay people in Oil City.

As Christian people.

Announcer: Learn
the strategies used

by gay activists
and don't let this

happen to your city.

Man:
If it's not happened

in your town, get ready,

'cause it is
going to happen.

Announcer: Purchase your copy

or a five-pack
to share with others today,

and spread the news.

They're coming to your town.

Is that too long?

Henderson: No,
that's probably okay.

That's my chainsaw,
by the way.

Mine disappeared.

I don't know
where mine went.

Wilson: You each have
your own chainsaw?

I used to.

Whose is bigger?

Hers would be
bigger.

I bet I've cut more wood
than she has, though.

Narrator: Roxanne can complain
about a small gene pool,

But she found
a really great mate.

When Linda caught wind
of the AFA video

about gays coming to town,

she composed
a poetic response.

Henderson:
Why do you suppose

there are empty store fronts?S?

They're choking
our town.

Why do you suppose
there's a brain drain?

They're choking
our town.

Why do you suppose
there is no unique art?

They're choking
our town.

It's time for a change.

Stop choking our town.

You like that?

Mm-hmm.

Woman: Hi, guys!

Come on in!

Wilson: Another case
of anti-gay discrimination

had taken place several years
earlier in Titusville,

a town just up the road
from Oil City.

It involved a student
named Tim Dahle.

I thought he and his family
might be able

to help Kathy and C.J.
figure out

how to get their school district
to take them more seriously.

Bills: The whole thing
started

from me standing up
for one kid.

And no one ever,

ever once said
a word to anybody.

They just stood there,
my best friends,

people that I've known

since I was this big.

They just rolled
their eyes.

Man: You call them
your friends,

you trust them,
and then

all of a sudden,
they turn on you.

I've been there.

What really irritates me
is the fact

that I used to
go out of my way

to actually cause bodily harm
to gay people.

Okay, we used to use it
like a sport, you know?

I mean, it was stupid.

And then when you
came out of the closet

and told me that you were gay,
I thought,

"oh, no, no, no.
You can't be."

And I got to thinking,

that gay kid's yours.

You going to disown him

because of his
sexual orientation?

Or are you going to love him
for who he is inside?

And I thought,
"the hell with it.

I'm going to love him
for who he is inside."

All right, and I tell you what,
you try to shed 40 years

Of hatred overnight.

It's just not done.

It's something you
got to learn how to live with,

deal with, and you
got to be sincere.

I mean, he's my kid.

I'm not going to turn my back
on him.

I won't -- I won't never
turn my back on him.

I -- I gotta eat.
See you guys.

Wilson: All right.
Thanks, Ron.

Woman: I can't believe
you got him on camera.

Shock of all shocks!

I never thought
that would happen.

Wilson:
It seemed like Kathy

really perked up
when Diane told her

that their lawsuit had forced
the school district

to implement diversity training

that included
sexual orientation.

Diane: We were
the first people

in all these years

to stand up
to our school system.

And it was because what they
were doing was wrong.

Yeah.

Springer: It breaks my heart.

I mean, I could just cry.

And that there are
other kids out there

going through
similar situations --

None of this
should ever happen.

I don't know that I'll
change the world,

but if I can even just
educate a few people, like,

look, they weren't put on this
earth to be tortured like this.

We're getting ready
for the grand opening.

And all of a sudden,

Diane Gramley sent out
a letter

warning everyone about
how dangerous we are and --

we have this
homosexual agenda.

And her brother
goes to work with a guy

whose minister stood
right in the pulpit

and said to boycott
the Latonia.

What?

Where is that
coming from?

Diane Gramley.

She's started
an all-in, all-out

campaign against us.

And she's saying
to people,

"don't do business
with the Latonia"?

Yes.

Because it's run
by a lesbian couple.

Yes -- we just wanted
to have a business.

If all the city wants
is churches,

then what do they need

an Art Deco theater for?

Wilson: As we were dealing
with anti-gay attitudes

right there
in the community,

the state of Pennsylvania

was considering expanding
its anti-discrimination law

to include
sexual orientation.

Kathy was invited
to tell her story

about discrimination at C.J.'s
school at a public hearing.

I'm not a public speaker.

But -- and I don't know
what I'd say.

I just, I need to hear
how it's going and --

Wilson: I've printed out
a copy of the law,

so we can look at it.
Okay, good, good.

Yeah, that would be good.

Where you see
the underline,

it's trying to add
"sexual orientation,

Gender identity,
or expression."

You know,
I don't understand

where they even get off
not including

gay and lesbian.

You know, let's get,
you know,

our heads
out of our asses here.

Gramley: On June 13th,
A homosexual special rights

Bill was introduced
in Harrisburg.

This is Diane Gramley with
the American Family Assocition

of Pennsylvania,
with a call to action.

Advocates for the passage
of these bills

deny they are
special rights bills,

But in what other situation
is a law specifically written

to include a group of people

simply because of the sexual
activity in which they engage?

They have never been required
to sit in the back of the bus

or drink from designated
water fountains.

They've never been considered
less than human,

as African Americans
once were.

Homosexual activists
are trying

to hijack
the civil rights movement

by pulling the victim card

and trying to seek
the normalization

of their destructive
lifestyle.

Wilson:
People like Diane

are using misinformation

to stir up irrational fears,
to kind of

push people
back into the closet.

It's not going to happen.

But when they
stir up that fear,

that's what creates
the problems.

That's what puts
people like C.J. at risk.

At risk.
Okay.

Because those messages

go out there and say,
"Oh, those are

the people
we're supposed to hate."

You know, can you imagine,
I mean,

just seeing somebody
at a party and saying,

"Oh, that's the faggot.

"Let's go, you know,
punch him, literally

knock him out --"

Can I imagine that?
Oh, yeah.

I-I can imagine that.

I mean, I was that type
of a person at one time.

Now, that may be shocking
to you.

But in my journey in life,
I'm no longer like that,

And a big part of that

Is my Christianity,
my faith in Christ.

You know, I truly believe
that Jesus Christ

has changed my character,
so that I don't do that,

nor do I want
to do those things anymore.

I mean, those are wrong.
It's wrong to do that.

It's wrong to violate...

You know, anybody.

I became
a different person.

Do you think there will come
a time, though, when we

don't disagree about

the place that gay, lesbian,

bisexual, and trans people
have in the world?

Maybe aspects of it.
I don't know.

I don't know.

You know...

I'd have to...

That would be a big --
that would be

a big change for me,
you know?

Wilson: My interactions
with Pastor Micklos

Were odd.

Ever since
the wedding announcement,

I felt like I had been battling

against people who use religion

to deny gay people basic rights
of visibility.

Pastor Micklos was open
to looking at things

in a different way.

I'd never thought
I'd become friends

with someone who didn't
view me as his equal.

But his willingness to examine
his own beliefs

was helping me to see
that not all religious people

fell into the box
that I often put them in.

Good afternoon, joe,
how are you doing?

Wilson: Hi, Diane,
how are you?

I wanted to introduce you
to Kathy Springer and C.J.

Oh, okay, good,
nice to meet you.

Thank you, it's nice
to meet you.

Wilson: C.J. Is the young boy
who was in Franklin high school

and was experiencing harassment
and discrimination.

Okay, the one that was
on your video?

Wilson: Yeah.
What do you think of that?

Well, I need to get in here
to the meeting, excuse me.

Woman: Diane Gramley

From the American Family
Association

of Pennsylvania.

Gramley: Civil rights
protections

have long
been fought for

by disenfranchised groups
of people.

African Americans led the fight
for civil rights,

seeking the right to vote
and to no longer

be required to sit
at the back of the bus.

But a person's skin color
or national origin

is unchangeable.

Wilson: Again, Gramley was
trying to use race

as a wedge to divide.

But this time, she was dealing
with legislators

who were experienced
in civil rights law.

I was hoping they'd be more open
to Kathy's testimony.

Springer: I'm sorry,
I'm already nervous.

I'm not a public speaker.

At this time I'd like
to tell you

about my son,
C.J. Bills.

At the time,
he was 15 years old

and attended a public school
in Venango county.

There was an incident
on a school bus one day.

He was on a field trip.

There were teachers
monitoring

this whole trip.

Kids were throwing things

at him,
calling him "faggot,"

"queer," "gay,"
asking if he wanted

to perform sex acts
on them.

The teachers
just turned their heads

and acted
like it never happened.

We've had our house

threatened to be
burned down.

We've gotten phone calls
by these boys, saying,

"we want to see
what color a faggot bleeds."

He was vulnerable,
he was scared,

he didn't want
to go to school.

His grades were dropping.

He was suicidal.

I, um, I just have
one more thing

to say -- I hope it never
comes to your family,

where one of your children
are tortured

for being who they are.

Thank you.

Sometimes black people
have a problem

with people who are different

comparing their experiences

with the black experience.

Because of
your experience,

you're going to be able
to help other young people

so that maybe tomorrow
this doesn't happen.

God bless you for it.

Be who you are,
no matter what.

Thank you very much.

Springer:
Thank you.

Wilson: Diane and group,
we actually wanted

to ask you how you respond

to the very personal testimonies
of C.J. And Kathy.

Like I said at the beginning
of my testimony,

I thought it was
awful information.

And the Franklin school district
should not have done to him

what they permitted to do.

So will you join us

in fighting discrimination --
No --

Against gay and lesbian
people in Franklin?

Not, we're not going to --

We're not
going to join you.

Why not?
No.

Because of the roads
that that will open.

Wilson: Kathy's testimony
may not have influenced Gramley,

but it did have an impact
on the legislators.

After the hearing,

one of the staff offered to help
Kathy and C.J. Contact the ACLU

to press a legal case
against their school district.

Springer: Prior to this,
I figured, the ACLU --

What the heck?

All they can do
is tell me no, you know.

Well, the next thing
I know,

I got a return phone call.

And we had
a great lawyer

From the ACLU.

Wilson: What do you think
about the Latonia?

Boy: I'm glad
that Roxanne got it,

because there was a guy
that wanted to scrap

the whole place out
piece by piece.

And look at that --
that picture

of that chandelier.

It's just, like, scary!

It could fall any second!

And plus, it's great!

Wilson: Just two days
before the grand opening,

Roxanne and linda got a call
from a neighboring

businessman about
their "homosexual agenda"

at the Latonia.

What happened on that
phone call you got?

Hitchcock: I said,

"if you want to listen to people
like Diane Gramley,"

I said, "you're welcome to,
but," I said,

"you know what?

"we're trying
to do something

Wonderful
for the community here."

And I said, "I want to know
what Diane Gramley

Has done to promote
the community."

Yeah.

"besides her witch hunts."

Yeah!
I said, "she's always

on a witch hunt
about something."

Did you say that?

Yes, I did.

Henderson: The negative messages
sting so bad

that it takes, probably,

100 positive
to keep you on track --

when it's that hateful.

Wilson: After
Kathy and C.J.'s case

about discrimination
at the high school

got attention
in the community,

the local college
brought in

a gay Christian performing arts
group from Pittsburgh

to help people see things
from a youth perspective.

Somehow, I managed to get

C.J. And Pastor Micklos
to attend.

♫ my soul ♫

Woman: I hope
that our performance

puts a face
to gay christians

and puts a face

to gay people.

There's a lot of people
that don't know things

about gay people,
and they have the stereotypical

assumptions of gay people.

What you just said
about stereotypes,

is that reversed at times,
as well?

As far as gay people having

stereotypes about
straight people?

Um...

Man: Yeah.
I do it.

I stereotype
straight people

as dressing badly
and --

Thanks for coming

How did you guys meet?

We wrote a letter
to the editor,

and they...
captured us.

And we became friends.

Awesome.

But I'm sorry
that part of the reason

you're not in school
is because violence

was perpetrated against you.

Not good
under any circumstances.

Bills: How did he
come around

like that?

Wilson: I guess
that he's been

thinking about it
for a little bit.

Wow.

At times, we all
get stereotyped, don't we?

Huh?

Sometimes we're not so bad
as our first impressions are.

Woman: You know
there are people

who don't care
what this guy's spreading.

And even if they listen,
they have seen you at work,

And they have seen
everything you've done.

I know, but we got
a double whammy against us.

You know that.

I know you do,

But you have to not let this

take away from what you've
worked so hard for.

Please put on your face
and say,

"you're not
going to do this to us."

And make this just be
as wonderful

an event
as it can be,

and is going to be.

What are we
going to say?

Latonia!

All: Latonia!

See?
That's what we needed.

Man: I told joe
that you and Roxanne

have been working sometimes
18-hour days getting this done.

I can't imagine,
because there's many weeks

that I don't work 18 hours.

But it hasn't been us
by ourselves.

We've had
a lot of people helping,

and if you're looking now,
there's an army up there,

helping us
get the room ready.

For KQW 96.3
at the Latonia,

I'm Sam Gordon.

Gordon: Why are you
doing it?

Woman:
Because I love Rox and Linda

so much.

That's the only reason why!

Joy!

I'm probably
going to cry.

It's -- I --
people are coming through

to let us know.

♫ oh, oh, oh,
and I'm ♫

♫ wrong, yeah ♫

♫ but I'm still
the toughest one ♫

Littler:
Listen to this.

"The Latonia's very bold

"and features
one of the biggest

chandeliers
in the United States!"

That baby is what I call
something!

Wilson: Roxanne and Linda
could count on the support

of their close friends.

But the challenge
in small towns

like Oil City is getting
regular people

to show their support when it
could really make a difference.

It remained to be seen
whether the community at large

would show up
for the Latonia's grand opening.

Okay.

Wilson: Clutch all the way
to the floor,

left foot.
That one?

Yeah, but with
your left foot.

And don't let it up.

Or you'll go right through
that garage door.

Now keep it down
and put it in reverse,

which is
way, way, way back.

That way?

Over, yeah.

Oh, this is a whole new
experience of the world here.

♫ hey, hey ♫

I'm not used to change.

♫ remember when we
used to play ♫

♫ out in your backyard
almost every day? ♫

This is awesome!

And he trusts me.

That's sweet!

♫ hey, hey ♫

♫ remember when we used to ♫

Wilson:
After two years,

Kathy and C.J.,
with the help of the ACLU,

finally reached a settlement
with the school district

that included a promise

of comprehensive
anti-discrimination training.

C.J. And I drove over
to the high school

To meet Kathy
and the ACLU lawyer.

They were observing
the training

to make sure it included

sexual orientation.

We had to drive my car,
because C.J.'s

$150 special had already
been scrapped.

And when you stop, clutch in,
if you're in gear.

Clutch down, all the way
to the floor.

All right.

Clutch, man!

Every time you stop,
you gotta use the clutch.

So, how'd everything go?

I wish they would have had

this in-service training program
two years ago.

Maybe we could have avoided

all of these problems.

I thought it was
very good.

I was very pleased.
I was very pleased.

My hands are
going to freeze off.

Let's go to the restaurant.

Okay, dude,
let me hear your comments.

What do you think about that?
That's awesome.

I want to find out
if he has, like,

more programs set up,

like, same thing as this,
or different ones, or...

Springer:
It's taken us two years,

but it's a step
that I never thought

would happen.

Wilson:
And quite a journey

for you, I'll say.

Yeah, I'm just a little old
back-hills mom.

Yeah.

I -- I --

I'll keep
being that voice.

Even if my son
moves away from this area,

which he'd like
very much to do,

I'm not going anywhere.

I'm still going to be here,

still going to stand up
against the bigots

until they wake up
and...

see the world
for what it is.

Welcome to the Latonia.

Thank you.

Woman: The spirit
of the building

is alive again,
you know?

It just is.

I think this is just
another piece

that's going to come alive
and, and add

to all the other things
that are happening here.

Woman:
Oh, I'm excited

about the vision
and the energy

that people have here
to bring this alive.

It's exciting.

The chandelier is gorgeous.
Yeah.

I can't wait to see it
lit up.

Henderson: Thank you all
for coming

this evening..

This is a fantastic night.

When you start on a large
project like this,

you need to celebrate

some mile markers.

But what's exciting

to me is watching
what's happening

throughout Oil City.

It means a lot to me
to see all these faces,

to see all these people
who are behind this project.

And it hasn't always
been easy.

and, uh, I think I'm going to

Have to turn it over
to Rox right now.

My partner, Roxanne.

Okay, Roxy,
are we ready?

Hitchcock: Okay.

All right,
One...

Two...Three.

Henderson: We actually had
imagined that moment from --

For a long time.

Hitchcock: Just seeing
the community's reaction to that

just made it all worthwhile.

That was cool!

Hitchcock: We love
this old building.

We're fixing it up.

We want to turn it
into something viable

and economically reasonable
for Oil City,

but in the same token,
we're giving something

back to the city.

It's all about being able
to be ourselves

without somebody
questioning every

motive we might have.

Yeah, what they call
an agenda,

we call our lives.

Right!
Right!

♫ Everything feels like enough ♫

Man, on P.A.:
We come against

The strongholds of sin
in this city

In the name of Jesus,

And we tear
those strongholds down

In the name of Jesus.

Father, I thank you
that there is

An army of believers,

Ready to take this city
for Jesus Christ.

♫ I want to see Jesus
lifted high ♫

♫ a banner that flies
across this land ♫

♫ that all men will see
the truth and know ♫

♫ he is the way... ♫

Wilson: Diane?

Diane?

I just wanted to ask you
one more thing, Diane.

Wilson: It had taken me
a long time to get there,

but in that moment,
as Diane was treating me

like I didn't exist,

I finally started to see

that battling with her
wasn't a useful way

to help make change
in my small hometown.

Change was starting to happen,
not through confrontation,

but because of people
who decided

not to leave,
like I did so many years ago.

People who had the courage
to start living their lives

just a little more openly.

And because other people
in the community

were willing
to meet them halfway.

You know, there have
been times

when I'm, like,
"How can they think that?"

You know?

Sure. And, um, you know,
I'm in a different place

with that now -- I mean,
I really respect

how you see the world

and how it's made you
into the people

that, um, opened us up
in the way you have, so...

you know, a lot of times,
we're afraid of the unknown.

and you were
the unknown quotient.

You could talk
about the issues,

but the reality is that
there are people behind there

that we need to be sensitive to

and try to look
at their perspective

and where they're at,
and, I mean,

the benefit of the whole thing,
I think,

is that we,
we have a friendship.

You know?

Hopefully, we're growing
as human beings,

you know, through it all.

Bills:
I'll get that.

Do you see
my cold air intake?

Are you seeing
them fuses?

Wilson: I can't say
I'm much

of a car person,
but it looks nice.

Bills: $4,388.68.

Oh, yeah,
I remember every dime.

Where'd you get
that kind of loot?

Off of that there,
what do you call it,

ACLU thing.

Good, you made it.

Yeah, you know it!

Can we go
for a ride?

If you want to.

You take it easy.

It's like
it ain't gonna go...

♫ today is fit for rent ♫

♫ I'm feelin'
so unique ♫

♫ I'm feelin'
really funky ♫

♫ I kind of like
this breeze ♫

♫ couldn't speak ♫

♫ or dream ♫

♫ or am I aware ♫

♫ sometimes it's hard
to tell ♫

♫ the difference
I made that said ♫

It rides
like a cadillac.

♫ smany lonely days ♫

♫ but today is ♫

Bills: I went
from being a jock,

an athlete,
a basketball player,

baseball player.

Then it turned around
to, I was a queer,

I was a faggot,
I was no longer

the guy that
dislocated your shoulder

in football practice --
I was just a sissy,

because of what I think
looks hot.

And whatever I think looks good

just automatically makes me
into a little fairy.

But it doesn't.

Because I'm still me,
and I'll always

remain me.

I'm not going to change.

♫ set me free ♫

♫ set me ♫
♫ set me free ♫

♫ set me free ♫
♫ come on and set me free ♫

♫ I gotta set me free ♫

♫ set me free ♫

♫ set me ♫

♫ set me free ♫

♫ come on
and set me free ♫

♫ I've gotta
set me free ♫

♫ free, free,
free, free ♫

♫ free, free, free, free ♫

♫ free, free,
free, free ♫

♫ free, free, free ♫

♫ I finally know who I am ♫

♫ I finally made
my own plan ♫

♫ I finally understand ♫

♫ I own my freedom
in my hand ♫