Coming Out

Gr 6 Up—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