Posted on 04/17/2003 2:46:52 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
MTV show to feature Dallas gay school
Struggling Walt Whitman hopes film brings students, funds
04/17/2003
In the six years since its founding, the Walt Whitman Community School has struggled with low enrollment, strapped budgets and a perplexing problem.
How, school organizers wonder, do you expand a private school for gay and lesbian teens when the students you serve are, essentially, in hiding?
One possible answer: Get yourself on MTV.
Whitman, one of the country's few schools established specifically to educate gay and lesbian teens, will get a national megaphone Thursday night when MTV airs the documentary School's Out: The Life of a Gay High School in Texas.
Becky Thompson, the Dallas school's principal and executive director, said the opportunity to become the subject of independent filmmakers came at a critical time for the school, which was struggling with low enrollment and scarce resources.
"We were questioning a lot of things about ourselves: How do we get the word out? How do we find our students?" Ms. Thompson said. "They're pretty much in hiding."
Part of MTV's True Life series, School's Out chronicles the lives of eight Whitman students over last school year. Camera crews shadowed the students in school, at home and around Dallas. The movie premiered in the United States last week at a Raleigh, N.C., documentary film festival.
Whitman will have a local premiere, which is closed to the public, Thursday night at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas. MTV is airing a 90-minute version of the film at 9 p.m.
Initially, the project was to be a documentary that would play on a circuit of documentary film festivals. After the project started, however, MTV agreed to air a television version of the film, Ms. Thompson said.
Ms. Thompson makes no bones about why the school and its board of directors agreed to the project. They hope the publicity brings them money and students.
For example, Whitman's students come to Dallas from all over the country, and the school needs a dormitory, she said.
With only 16 students, however, and a budget that won't hit $150,000 this year, building a dorm isn't likely without the publicity that School's Out can bring, Ms. Thompson said.
Money for other services, such as social workers and counseling, is also needed. The school rents classroom space from the White Rock Community Church on Garland Road.
The subjects of the film had reasons of their own for participating.
After growing up ostracized in Texarkana, Michael Boyd, 19, saw the film as a chance to speak to kids who are confused about their sexuality.
"I'm hoping the film will impact the community of youth who feel alone and reassure them that they're not," he said.
Initially, he said, it took him about a week to get comfortable with the cameras around. Mr. Boyd has since earned his GED and is working at a Dallas law firm.
Mr. Boyd said he's a bit nervous about seeing himself on a movie screen during the Lakewood showing Thursday night.
"I just hope that people understand the different culture and lifestyle," he said.
Angel Collie, a former Whitman student, saw the film at its premiere in Raleigh. The documentary focuses quite a bit on Angel and her relationship with her girlfriend.
Even though the film was made less than a year ago, Ms. Collie, 17, said she hardly recognizes herself on the screen. The filmmakers were fascinated with Ms. Collie's body piercings. She has more than 50.
She has since toned down the body art and broken up with her girlfriend. She also has left Dallas and moved back to North Carolina.
"I wanted to get out there and show [the world] what gay youth are really about," she said. "I wanted to talk about it and show them that we're real people."
E-mail kfischer@dallasnews.com
Principal and executive director? Of 16 students? And what type of teacher/s are they employing? Sounds like the perfect setup for a pedophile. I am amazed at the depths to which our society has sunk. And to believe it's here in Texas, I'm doubly amazed.
Obviously not a Christian church.
Can you imagine the schools' curriculum?
Fisting 101
Barebacking for fun and profit
Chicenhawks - Who to avoid and who to invite
The home ec classes: Dresses for men, and Cooking for your boyfriend
The shop class: Tongue and groove construction while wearing comfortable shoes
Why do they need a dorm? Are the bathrooms all constantly in use or something?
Your comment reminded me of this story that I saw the headline of the other day . . .
Marriage bill excludes gays
Senate gives tentative OK; foes call measure mean, redundant
04/15/2003
AUSTIN Texas would join states that refuse to recognize same-sex civil unions or marriages under a "defense of marriage" bill tentatively approved Monday by the Senate.
The action came despite arguments by opponents that the prohibition is not needed because Texas law already bars the state from issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples and from recognizing same-sex unions performed in other states.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, author of the bill, said that despite the current restrictions, the state still needs to make clear that the heterosexuality of marriage will be protected while same-sex unions won't.
"I believe Texas should adopt as its public policy the traditional marriages between one man and one woman, and that this state should not recognize civil unions between members of the same sex entered into in Vermont and possibly other states in the future," Mr. Wentworth said. Vermont is the only state that allows same-sex civil unions.
The legislation was approved on a voice vote, with final passage expected Tuesday. A similar bill has passed a House committee and is awaiting action by the full House.
Mr. Wentworth said his legislation was prompted by the federal Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress in 1996 that invited states to pass laws against same-sex marriages.
"So far, 36 states have done this," the senator said, insisting there was no reason for Texas not to join the list. He also noted that state law does not specifically address civil unions.
But Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, argued the measure is a misguided attempt to fix a problem that does not exist.
"Some people would say this is just mean-spirited and directed at an element of society that just wants to be left alone, go to work and pay taxes. They are not really creating problems for anybody," he said, noting that state law already prohibits same-sex marriages.
"This will be used to persecute and condemn people who are doing nothing wrong. I really question why you are doing this."
Mr. Whitmire noted that when a gay couple from Beaumont tried to get a divorce in state court last month, Attorney General Greg Abbott successfully petitioned a state judge to reverse his earlier decision to grant the divorce. The couple had a civil union performed in Vermont last year.
Mr. Abbott's office cited the Texas Family Code, arguing that since the state does not recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions, it could not grant a divorce to a homosexual couple.
"The attorney general took action to prevent recognition of same-sex marriages," Mr. Whitmire said.
To Mr. Wentworth's argument that 36 states have passed such a law, the Houston Democrat said, "Forty-five states already have an income tax, and I haven't seen anyone yet say we ought to have an income tax, too."
Besides the restrictions against same-sex marriages, the bill also would prohibit legal protections, benefits or marital responsibilities from being granted to such couples. The measure does not affect companies that provide health insurance and other benefits to same-sex partners.
E-mail tstutz@dallasnews.com
"Aw, Jeez Louise !"Huh? "Good Night Nurse?" Can someone fill me in what that means? . . .Good Night Nurse!
With only 16 students, however
16 students?! But wait, after hearing all of the talking points from GLSEN and other gay-youth mouthpieces, I had simply assumed that the young gay community comprised "one teenager in ten" ... (reaching for my calculator) ...
I need to update the database... as soon as I have time.
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Although it would have been a hit in Carrboro or Asheville I imagine. Didn't even know about this
I heard about it, but the festival they refer to was in Durham, N.C.
full frame documentary film festival (note the hipster use of lower-case)
Sounds like they had a gay old time.
CD
That's their new slogan - "Gay, lesbian and questioning [or confused]". They want to rope in more recruits, since sodomy doesn't really come naturally (no pun intended, really!). With the junk that is poisoning kids, no wonder they're confused.
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