Showtime, the television network that's arguably gayer than Logo, has begun casting for a new docu series about GLBT folks coming out. Producers of Way Out "say they were alarmed by the recent San Francisco State University study about family response to a teen’s coming out and its conclusion that 'teens who experienced negative feedback were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide.' The glimmer of hope the study offered however was that 'parents who take even baby steps to respond with equanimity instead of rejection can dramatically improve a gay youth's mental health outlook.' By raising awareness and visibility, they hope to help people take those 'baby steps' or better." [KI212]
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Lets hope that Showtime sticks to this idea and that it works. I would hate for it to turn into a show that ends up hurting us more than helping the people who discriminate against us to see things from a different perspective.
What, tv using young gay trainwrecks for ratings, it would never happen. And I am sure they would never just look for the sterotypical flaming outcast type either.
Given their stated impetus for creating this show, I hope somebody over there is familiar with The Trevor Project and partners with them on this…
http://www.thetrevorproject.org
Logo did this 3 years ago with a show called COMING OUT STORIES. Logo repeats everything a thousand times so I'm sure it is on the channel somewhere. Not sure how Showtime is gayer than Logo since Logo beat Showtime to the punch years ago.
Why is it this blog has such a negative view of just about everything? Witness the title of this post:
"Coming Out Is Hard Enough. Now, Share Your Story With All of America"
The title instantly puts the reader into the position of finding fault with what is coming. Why does this story have to have a negative slant? Of course coming out is difficult; but that doesn't mean that someone's story can't inspire others. Look at JP Calderon, for example. The reality TV "star" came out via Instinct Magazine and that train-wreak show about Janice Dickinson. For at least a year, the magazine was getting thank you letters about the story. That's the power of coming out in the media. As for Showtime, there's little reason to cast doubt on their committment to the LGBT community.
And finally, EchoMark is right. The Trevor Project is a tremendous resource. I just visited the Way Out website and it appears that the producers of this documentary are well-established and quite qualified. One of the producers (Todd Shotz) has produced documentaries about Tony Kushner and AIDS in Africa. I'm guessing this group of people will likely include the Trevor Project.
I totally want to do this show, I could hire actors to play my parents (since mine refuse to speak to me because I chose to come out…weird huh?) and I would stage this really great coming out scene with wind in my hair and dramatic pauses and I definitely want to cry for a second or two before they hug me and tell me how proud they are of me no matter what. And I want there to be a some pony's in the background. And a cake. And I want Lucas Ridgeston to come in as the man I have 2 adopted Canadian babies with.