Coming Out: What Every Teen (Gay and Straight) Needs to Know

Awards

Association for Library Service to Children: Notable Children's Video

Reviews

Highly Recommended 3.5 Stars out of 4 It’s just sort of like taking a leap off a cliff and hoping there’s ground beneath it,” says Tea, a transgendered teen making the transition from male to female in a supportive school environment. She’s one of the subjects featured in this excellent, straight-shooting guide to both coming out safely and also being a straight ally. A genial teenage host lays the groundwork by pointing out than an estimated 5 percent of American high school students identify themselves as lesbian or gay, and he reappears intermittently throughout the program to define common terms, such as “sexual orientation,” the acronym “LGBTQ,” “coming out,” and homophobia.” Experts in human sexuality provide commentary to accompany the stories of several young people who’ve had positive experiences with both peers and family in identifying themselves as LGBT, as well as one straight teen who advocates for gay rights. Also covered are legal and psychological issues related to bullying and sexual harassment. Well-shot and edited, Coming Out brings a realistically optimistic tone to an emotionally difficult and controversial subject, allowing credible representatives to speak in their own voices minus any finger-wagging moralizing. The accompanying curriculum provides a guide to establishing a gay-straight alliance at one’s school. Highly recommended.

- E. Gieschen
Video Librarian

Starred Review  The issue of homophobic bullying in school is tackled head-on in this well-made program. Viewers meet a teenage gay man, a lesbian couple, a transgender person, and a straight ally who each share their experiences. Dominique Walker’s story about her 11-year-old brother who was bullied with homophobic slurs until he committed suicide is particularly heartbreaking and illuminates the need for safe spaces for young people whose gender expression makes them targets, whether or not they are actually gay. In complementary interview segments, Dr. Elisabeth Schroeder of Rutgers and Dr. Ritch C. Savin-Williams of Cornell University offer advice to GLBT (gay. lesbian, bisexual, transgender) teens on how and why to come out, as well as reasons for heterosexual teens to care about homophobia. The guide provides teachers with an array of material for classroom use, including group exercises, fact sheets, and further resources both in print and online. Though of limited use in public libraries, this informative production is an essential resource for middle and high schools.

- Beth Gallego, Los Angeles Public Library, CA
School Library Journal