Chely Wright
Photo: Michael Granberry & Laura Crosta, via QSyndicate
HICKORY, NC — Faith In America, an organization working to end the harm to LGBT youth caused by religion-based bigotry, wishes to congratulate Chely Wright on her 2013 GLAAD Media Award nomination in the Outstanding Documentary category. The film, Chely Wright: Wish Me Away, depicts Wright’s journey as the first country music star to come out as gay. It premiered on Showtime in November.
In addition, the organization announced the addition of a new film list, created by WolfeVideo.com, for its FaithandEquality.org website. The list contains Wright’s film and others which LGBT youth and families will find informative, inspirational and transformative. It can be viewed online at faithandequality.com/lgbt-faith-equality-film-list/, and is reproduced in full below.
“I’m so very honored by the nomination and to see my documentary among the nominees of other such great film works,” Wright said. “What is most rewarding is knowing that these films are helping many Americans, particularly communities of faith, come to a better understanding of the new perspective that is being embraced by so many people across this country. It is a perspective that values faith and equality as co-equal in value rather than in conflict with one another. Such strife need not exist. The harm caused – when such conflict is present – can be devastating to the well-being of LGBT youth and their families.”
Chely Wright is a member of Faith In America’s Board of Directors and has been working to educate Americans about the harm caused to LGBT youth and families when misguided religious teaching is used to justify stigma and hostility. She has founded a nonprofit LGBT youth advocacy organization, Like Me, which also is the title of her compelling memoir. She also has served as a national spokesperson for GLAAD. In 2011, she married LGBT activist Lauren Blitzer.
Brent Childers, executive director of Faith In America, said film works like Chely Wright’s film and others are helping bring tremendous and positive change to society as faith communities are coming to understand the harm that gay and lesbian individuals, especially youth and families, have suffered for far too long at the hands of those who seek to disguise bigotry as religious truth.
“This list of films has been developed with the faith perspective in mind,” Childers said. “We hope everyone in the LGBT community will make it a point to share one of these films with a young person or family in need of its message.”
The full list of films is below.
About Faith in America
Faith In America’s mission is to educate the public about the harm caused when misguided religious teaching is used to place a religious and moral stamp of disapproval and inequality on the lives of gay and lesbian Americans, with emphasis on its horrific impact on youth and families. The goal of this education process is to end the advance of religion-based bigotry and the stigma and hostility this uniquely vile form of bigotry promotes toward LGBT individuals and their families. It can no longer be acceptable to bring religion-based bigotry’s harm to bear on good, decent human beings solely because of their sexual orientation.
[From a News Release]
LGBT Faith & Equality Film List:
This LGBT Faith & Equality Film List is provided courtesy of WolfeVideo.com — the trusted community source for LGBT movies since 1985. Most of these films are available on DVD; you can click through to read more, watch the trailers and purchase the DVDs from WolfeVideo.com. Or find them at other retailers or movie sources.
Feature Films:
Chely Wright: Wish Me Away
A film about Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as gay, is up this year GLAAD’s outstanding documentary. It premiered on Showtime in November and details how the “Single White Female” singer arranged her coming out in 2010 among the conservative circles of Nashville. In 2011, she married LGBT activist Lauren Blitzer. Chely Wright is a member of Faith In America’s Board of Directors.
The Wise Kids
A New York Times Critics Pick, this powerful new drama stars Tyler Ross as gay Baptist teen Tim who grapples with family and faith (and his closeted church drama teacher) during his last summer before college. www.wolfevideo.com/products/wise-kids-the/
Angels in America
The HBO adaptation of Tony Kushner’s award-winning play about faith and sexuality in the age of AIDS.
www.wolfevideo.com/products/angels-in-america/
Latter Days
A young Mormon falls for a West Hollywood party boy in this popular romantic drama. www.wolfevideo.com/products/latter-days/
But I’m a Cheerleader
Suspecting she’s a lesbian, Megan’s Conservative Christian parents send her off to a homosexual rehab camp in this wildly popular comedy. www.wolfevideo.com/products/but-im-a-cheerleader/
Prayers for Bobby
Sigourney Weaver stars as a conservative Presbyterian mother reaching out to the gay community for support after driving her homosexual son to suicide. www.wolfevideo.com/products/prayers-for-bobby/
The Secrets
The daughter of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi develops an intense attraction to her fellow student at a women’s religious seminary.
www.wolfevideo.com/products/secrets-the/
The Falls
Two teenage Mormon boys assigned to serve a mission together grapple with their feelings for one another. www.wolfevideo.com/products/falls-the/
The Seminarian
Drama about a closeted gay student in his final semester of seminary studies. www.wolfevideo.com/products/seminarian-the/
The Last Year
A gay drama set in a conservative Bible college. www.wolfevideo.com/products/last-year-the-special-edition/
Eyes Wide Open
A devout family man and ultra-Orthodox Jew falls in love with a much younger yeshiva student. www.wolfevideo.com/products/eyes-wide-open/
Save Me
A gay man is sent to a Christian ex-gay retreat where he falls in love with a fellow resident. www.wolfevideo.com/products/save-me/
Documentaries:
Love Free or Die
Sundance Award-winning profile of Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to be ordained in the Episcopal Church. An inspiring film about church and state, love and marriage, faith and identity — and one man’s struggle to dispel the notion that God’s love has limits. www.wolfevideo.com/products/love-free-or-die/
God Loves Uganda
Set to World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2013.
A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to infuse African culture with values imported from America’s Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting “sexual immorality” and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow biblical law. www.godlovesuganda.com
Taking a Chance on God
Portrait of John McNeill — Catholic priest, gay rights pioneer and founder of the LGBT Catholic group, Dignity.
www.takingachanceongod.com
I Am Gay and Muslim
This intimate documentary follows a number of young gay Moroccan men in their exploration of their religious and sexual identity.
http://iamgayandmuslim.com
8: The Mormon Proposition
Acclaimed exploration of the Mormon Church’s funding of California’s anti-gay Proposition 8.
www.wolfevideo.com/products/8-the-mormon-proposition/
Jihad for Love
This global overview looks at what it means to be gay and Muslim. www.wolfevideo.com/products/jihad-for-love-a/
For the Bible Tells Me So
Award-winning documentary features five families who have confronted a crisis of faith upon learning that their child is gay or lesbian.
www.wolfevideo.com/products/for-the-bible-tells-me-so/
Fish Out of Water
This informative yet entertaining documentary explores the Biblical passages used to condemn homosexuality.
www.wolfevideo.com/products/fish-out-of-water/
Trembling Before God
A cinematic portrait of various gay Orthodox Jews who struggle to reconcile their faith and their sexual orientation.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0278102/
Family Fundamentals
What happens when three Christian families have children who “become homosexual?” www.imdb.com/title/tt0303334/
One Nation Under God
Focusing on the contemporary religious Right Wing proliferation of curative therapies for homosexuality.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0107748/
Harder To Find But Worth Seeking Out:
Priest
Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache) is torn between his call as a conservative Catholic priest and his secret gay life.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0110889/
Saved!
Mary is a good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school where she has good Christian friends and a perfect Christian boyfriend. Her life seems perfect, until the day that she finds out her boyfriend may be gay. www.imdb.com/title/tt0332375/
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Hineini (Hebrew for ‘Here I am’) chronicles the story of one student’s courageous fight to establish a gay-straight alliance at a Jewish high school. www.imdb.com/title/tt0846699/
Questioning Faith: Confessions of a Seminarian
This early documentary from Love Free or Die director Macky Alston explores the crisis of faith of one seminarian as he grapples with losing his partner to AIDS. www.imdb.com/title/tt0326035/
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Terrific British mini-series based on Jeanette Winterson’s autobiographical tale of growing up lesbian with her fundamentalist Christian mother. www.imdb.com/title/tt0098032/
Extramuros
Carmen Maura portrays a lesbian nun grappling with the Inquisition in 16th century Spain. www.imdb.com/title/tt0089115/
I, The Worst of All
Beautiful dramatization of the life of 17th century lesbian nun, Sister Juana Ines de la Cruz. www.imdb.com/title/tt0100990/
All God’s Children
Prominent religious, intellectual, and political leaders, family members and activists speak out about the role of the Church and the importance of commitment to equal rights and social justice for all people, including lesbians and gay men.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0277564/
