Gay Youth

30 Minutes |

Gay Youth is at once entertaining and enlightening, with enough dramatic tension for 100 non-fiction films.”

—American Film Institute

»16-page Study Guide (PDF)

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DESCRIPTION

Protagonists from Gay Youth, a film by Pam Walton Productions

Since 1992, Gay Youth and its 16-page study guide have been among the most widely used, respected and effective educational tools for understanding the experiences of gay and lesbian adolescents. By contrasting the tragic death of 20-year old Bobby Griffith, a gay teen who could not find acceptance, with the remarkable life of 17-year old Gina Gutierrez, this pioneering video shows us that information, acceptance and support make an enormous difference in the lives of young people.

REVIEWS

Gay Youth is a lovely short film, ideal for showing in classrooms… It humanizes young gay people and clearly and forcefully depicts the challenges they face, as well as their desire to be accepted and to be allowed to live like everyone else. As a teaching device, the DVD also comes with a short study guide with recommended questions and an essay called ‘Homosexuality: The New Frontier in Sexuality Education’ by Andrew Humm of the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City.”

—David Eller, Community College of Denver, Anthropology Review Database, Dec 2010

“If instructors have time and resources for just one videotape, it should be Gay Youth for its insightful treatment of coming out, parental support, peer harrassment, and suicide among gay and lesbian teens.”

—Robert-Jay Green of the California School of Professional Psychology

Gay Youth lets lesbian and gay young people and their families tell their seldom heard stories. It depicts both the pain of growing up on the margins of an intolerant society — and the joy of achieving self-acceptance and confidence.”

—Hetrick-Martin Institute, NYC

“Students see Gay Youth as an important source for learning about the experiences of lesbian and gay youth. The contrast between the two major stories makes for excellent discussion about the risk factors involved in growing up gay in a homophobic and heterosexist society.”

—Arnold H. Grossman, PhD, Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Education, New York University

AWARDS

GayYouth-Nominated for the Young Adult Library Association's Select DVDs Award
Gay Youth awards, Cine Golden Eagle
GayYouth - Silver Apple, National Educational Film Festival
Gay Youth awards, Blue Ribbon American Film Festival
Gay Youth awards, Silver Award, Short Documentary, Philadelphia International Film Festival

SCREENINGS

Gay Youth has screened at every major gay and lesbian film festival in the world: San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, London, Torino, Hamburg, Hong Kong, and Sydney.

Gay Youth was included in Gays and Film: Get Reel, the first retrospective of gay and lesbian film ever curated by the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Across the nation this award-winning video and its 16-page study guide are being used by educators and organizations that care for young people.

MORE RESOURCES

»Walton describes life as a filmmaker, reception to her 1992 documentary Gay Youth and what it was like to be a gay student at Whitman College in the early 1960s (Whitman College Newsroom, 11/9/15).

»GLSEN, The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

»Gay Straight Alliance Network

»Hetrick-Martin Institute, Home of Harvey Milk High School

»PFLAG: Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays