‘Word Is Out”s Historical Importance Cannot Be Underestimated

“I feel like this film is my opportunity to put it all together, and to explain who I am, what I am, and what I’m about.”

— Laurel Hester, describing having her story told in Cynthia Wade’s 2007 short documentary Freeheld.

Laurel Hester didn’t live to see the documentary about her fight to secure her pension for her same-sex partner after Laurel succumbed to cancer. A 25-year police veteran, Hester petitioned on her partner’s behalf, arguing that surviving spouses in heterosexual relationships were given the pension. She was joined in her fight by many of her fellow police officers, as well as the citizens of Ocean City, New Jersey, and she lived to see the town’s governing body, the Freeholders, declare her partner the rightful beneficiary of Laurel’s pension.

DVD: Word is Out

Release Date: 2010-06-08

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories / Milliarium Zero

Image: http://images.popmatters.com/columns_art/a/abernethy-wordout-cvr.jpgFreeheld, which told of Laurel’s fight, wasn’t a planned documentary. However, when director Cynthia Wade heard of Laurel’s story, she decided to check it out in person by attending a Freeholders’ meeting, and she began filming immediately. Still, the final film wasn’t just about Hester’s fight with the Freeholders; it was equally a look at the relationship of Hester and partner and caregiver Stacie Andree. For her skill in navigating between political film and personal story, Wade won the 2008 Oscar for Best Documentary Short.

Yet, Freeheld wasn’t the first LGBT documentary to win an Oscar. In 1984, Rob Epstein’s brilliant The Times of Harvey Milk won for Best Documentary feature, and five years later, his and Jeffrey Friedman’s Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt took the award. The Oscar in 1977 went to Who Are the Debolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?, which has nothing to do with gays and lesbians, unless one of the kids grows up to be queer (and with 19 kids, odds are…I’m just saying). However, 1977 is the year that the first documentary about LGBT people, Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, was released; it was nominated for nada. Fortunately, LGBT historians and film critics have remembered the film’s importance, and it is now restored and in rerelease from Millenium Zero, with props to Outfest Legacy Project and UCLA Film and Television Archive for doing the legwork to revive the film.

The film interviews 26 gay and lesbian individuals about their lives, experiences, and hopes for the future. A wide demographic range is covered, with a variety of ages, social classes, and ethnicities represented. In the beginning, the only black lesbian included, Betty Powell, asks if she will be the only black lesbian in the film, worried that she will be seen as “the voice” for all black lesbians. However, there are themes that are prevalent that bind these people together, showing that much of the experience of being gay or lesbian is shared regardless of demographic characteristics.

Tales of secrecy, discrimination, discovery, bonding, and isolation and loneliness are common, not surprising considering the social and political climate for the LGBT community in the ’70s. Then, homosexuality, if mentioned at all, usually was uttered with the same disdain with which one would discuss child molestation. Even disco — the gayest dance craze to ever sweep the planet — didn’t make homosexuality more palatable for the general public.

For many of today’s young LGBT persons, coming out was something that was checked off the to-do list before kindergarten. Thus, it might be difficult to understand a time when coming out often meant losing everything you had: family, friends, job, home. One woman, identified only as Whitey, talks about being committed to a mental institution for years as a teenager for having what her mother deemed “impure thoughts.” Her journey was one controlled by suppression of her feelings and conforming to expectations until she could be released and, as an adult, begin a life of her own choosing. Her chain-smoking and the purposeless scratching of the label on her beer bottle are good indicators that years later, Whitey is still wrestling some of those old demons.

Personally, David Gillon’s experiences spoke loudest. Realizing that he wasn’t conforming to the public’s expectation of a teen boy chasing tail, David ultimately blamed himself for not fitting in:

“…when I was in high school, I just thought I was one of those cold people who could never love anyone. Some people have the capacity, and I guess I didn’t. It just wasn’t in me. And when I fell in love with this guy, it just… it meant so much — it meant I was a real person. I wasn’t just a machine.”

If the documentary has one weakness, it’s that so many of the stories resemble one another. The viewpoint of those LGBT individuals who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s into accepting homes isn’t represented, and my partner is proof that such persons exist. His mother didn’t bat an eye when he told her he was gay, and his circle of friends insured that he had like-minded persons to share experiences with. Of course, he has suffered discrimination — who amongst us hasn’t — but the film presents an impression that every LGBT person in the ’70s lived under a cloud of scrutiny and secrecy.

Nonetheless, Word is Out lives up to its name, and its importance as a record of a generation of gay and lesbian persons cannot be underestimated. Several of the interviewees comment on the possible consequences of agreeing to do the film, fearing recriminations not just for themselves, but for family members, as well. Pam Jackson, who most represents the ’70s image of femininity with her slathered blue eye shadow and bouffant hairdo, notes that appearing in the film with her female partner will pretty much seal her fate in any future custody battles with her ex-husband. (It’s pleasing to see her in the DVD extras, still with her partner, talking about not just their kids, but their grandkids and great-grandkids.)

In an era when police raids on gay and lesbian bars were still frequent, it was difficult for many of these men and women to fathom a time when LGBT equality could become a hot topic for political debate. Pat Bond, a salty, chain-smoking lesbian with Naval experience, laments that growing acceptance actually compromises the LGBT experience: “The depressing thing about lesbians being accepted — gayness accepted — is that we lose our sense of the ‘in’ group, the adventure of being different in a straight world.”

“Lezbros”, “Elephant in the Room”, “Queer Streets”, “Hip Hop Homo”

Thirty years later, the same group of individuals agreed to be re-interviewed for the most interesting of the DVD extras, except for Whitey and one other participant (and obviously, those who have died since the filming). Rick Stokes notes how things have changed: “…(the film is) now very dated because the pictures, the stories of us… is not the story of young people today. I’m so glad it’s not the story of young people now.”

Others express surprise that appearing in the film was beneficial, noting that it forced long-overdue conversations and family discussions. Mark Pinney, the film’s representative of the ’70s gay businessman in his tan polyester suit and tie wide enough to double as a towel, notes that despite his fears that his place in the corporate structure would be shaken, he actually enlisted new clients due the film. It’s especially endearing to see John Burnside, legendary gay activist and inventor, in one of his final interviews before passing away, recalling his experiences filming with his lover, Harry Hay, co-founder of the Mattachine Society.

Those interested in gay history owe these documentaries a viewing, and all LGBT persons should be required to view Word is Out as the first step in earning their Queer History merit badge.

Word is Out has no overt political agenda. By presenting in a straight-forward fashion (no pun intended) the stories of these individuals, the viewer is left to draw his or her own conclusions. Some of the interviewees are likable and it’s easy to feel sympathetic regarding their experiences, while others are downright irritating — basically, they’re much like same crowd one would find in a gay bar on a Friday night.

In the years since Word is Out was released, the number of documentaries focusing on LGBT individuals, events, and issues has skyrocketed. Some, such as Wigstock and Celluloid Closet, have developed cult followings. As is the nature of documentaries, there are two primary purposes to these films: to record a moment in history for posterity, or to make a commentary and argument regarding the current state of affairs.

Outrage, one of the more controversial documentaries in the LGBT catalog, falls into the latter category. The film, released in 2009 by director Kirby Dick, seeks to expose gay politicians who work to defeat LGBT-friendly legislation. Some of those “exposed” are not surprising, such as former Senator Larry Craig, who would have us believe that he naturally taps his foot in a suggestive manner while sitting upon a public toilet. (Perhaps the ex-Senator hums show-tunes while doing his business and was just keeping the beat — macho show-tunes, of course, such as those from Damn Yankees, not those sissy show-tunes from Wicked.) Far more revealing is the assertion that “dozens” of top Republican aides and assistants are gay, and their sexual orientation is well — known not just to their bosses, but to everyone in the loop.

The film never presents a “smoking gun” for any of those it seeks to out, ala “Here’s a picture of Ed Koch blowing Jim McGreevey at a Bacchanalian orgy.” Still, many of those who have that proof- – or at least, some good stories to tell — are reluctant to speak out, filmmakers maintain. The film notes the ordeal of Anita Hill, who accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. If Hill had to endure retribution and intense scrutiny for mentioning inappropriate remarks by the judicial nominee, to what kind of living hell would a former lover be subjected for outing Republican rising star, Florida Governor, and newlywed Charlie Crist, expected to be a presidential candidate in 2012?

Unfortunately, some of the film’s credibility is damaged by the DVD extra focusing on Michael Rogers, founder of BlogActive.com and warrior in the quest to out gay politicians. After an appearance, Rogers approaches Senator Chris Dodd during a meet and greet and insists that the Senator give a firm date when legislation repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be introduced into the Senate. When Dodd fails to give him a firm date, Rogers calls Dodd a homophobe, despite Dodd’s 100 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Roger’s dogmatic approach — that all others should share his opinion about this topic’s importance — ultimately alienates and reinforces the stereotype of the angry queer forcing his agenda down the public’s throat.

Interestingly, the film’s assertion that the media is complicit in the subterfuge of those closeted politicians is borne out by the film’s reviews. The Boston Globe‘s review notes “Dick speculates on the homosexuality of several current and former public officials which hasn’t been corroborated by the men themselves… But in accordance with Globe ethics policy, I can’t repeat those names here”, while The Washington Post merely notes that “Some notable legislators — all of them male Republicans” are outed. This isn’t just vague; it’s inaccurate, as the film also focuses on Democrats and Mary Cheney.

Word is Out, Freeheld, and Outrage are only three of the many LGBT documentaries that have flooded our cultural psyche in the last three decades. Now, with the advent of reality television, the LGBT community has a wider audience than ever, as more LGBT characters are appearing on reality shows such as The Real World, which featured one of TV’s most known reality gays in Pedro Zamora, America’s Next Top Model, and Big Brother.

Further, several reality shows focus solely on the LGBT community, and I don’t mean those cheesy “guess which one of these studly men is queer” dating shows. Most prominent is Showtime’s The Real L Word, which follows a group of lesbian friends and has done for lesbianism what The Real Housewives has done for rich women. Understandably, the LGBT networks have been most progressive in the area of highlighting the lives of real gays, lesbians, and transgendered persons. Logo features the series Coming Out Stories, which is exactly what the title suggests, as well as the Real Momentum Documentary Series, which has included the episodes “Lezbros” (about the male BFFs of lesbians), “Elephant in the Room” (gay Republicans), “Queer Streets” (homeless gay teens), and “Hip Hop Homo”. Here! is even more straightforward than Logo in the titles of their documentary shows, which include Everything You Wanted to Know*Gay Porn Stars, Lesbian Sex and Sexuality, and Hot Gay Comics (as in comedians, not graphic novels).

While these TV series show the world the people that we are today, especially those of us 25 or younger, they don’t represent where we come from. Mr. Stokes, in Word in Out, worries that today’s LGBT youth don’t understand their history and the triumphs of those who suffered society’s disparagement so that future generations could live more freely. Those interested in gay history owe these documentaries a viewing, and all LGBT persons should be required to view Word is Out as the first step in earning their Queer History merit badge.

Cheers, Queers for Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach of the U.S. Air Force 389th Fighter Squadron, , who successfully fought his impending dismissal under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Air Force officials only learned he was gay after he was accused of sexual assault and he mentioned his orientation to police investigating the allegations (the sexual assault case was dropped, as well).

Here’s Mud in Your Eye to Brent Bowers, manager of the Edmonton Capitals, who outed umpire Billy Van Raaphorst in a mid-game homophobic rant after the ump angered him. Eventually, Bowers resigned and apologized, but only after players protested the league’s weak response of a two-day suspension.