Coming out in the 1950's teaches teens about the history of the gay community
A new 14 minute video has just been made availalble for gay teens to learn about the history of the gay community. COMING OUT IN THE 1950s: Stories of Our Lives" was produced by the newly formed Pye/Harris Project.
In the video, three teen journalists interview gay elders about their experiences in coming out during the McCarthy era, when there was no visible gay community. Stories include Hadley Hall, an ROTC member who was outed and summarily discharged; Ron Rebholz, an academic who gave up a promising relationship to pursue an education because of the fear he experienced if the relationship continued; and Phyllis Lyon, on her experiences founding of the first lesbian organization in America, the Daughters of Bilitus.
The video is available to the public on youtube (search: Coming out in the 1950S), and individual DVD copies are available for groups of gay youth.
If you are interested in having a copy to share with your GSA club, please contact me at pyeharrisproject@aol.com . The Pye/Harris Project was founded by 94 year old Edgar Pye, whose sixty-year life partner Robert Harris died in 2006. In Mr. Harris' honor, Pye created the project to show young gay people that a simple life of commitment and dignity can be used as a powerful political statement in and of itself.
For additional information, contact pyeharrisproject@aol.com