It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School

It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School (1996)

Depicts what happens when students K-8 discuss LGBT-related topics in age-appropriate ways. Shot in six public and private schools (in San Francisco and New York City, as well as Madison, Wisconsin, and Cambridge, Massachusetts), It’s Elementary models excellent teaching about family diversity, name-calling, stereotypes, community building, and more.

Date of release
1996-05-21
TMDB
4.6 / 10 (5)
Runtime
1h 18m
Genres
Documentary
Director
Debra Chasnoff

Casting

Interesting facts

It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Debra Chasnoff and Helen S. Cohen. It provides educators with information on how to teach elementary schoolchildren to be tolerant of gay and lesbian people. It earned awards from several American film festivals, was broadcast on public television stations, and was obtained by more than 3,000 institutions for educational use. The film was noted as the "first of its kind" and was generally well received, although there was backlash from conservatives.

Background

Debra Chasnoff wanted to direct an educational video series that deals with teaching children about issues involving people who are homosexual, but she learned that there was not much information about the topic that was aimed towards educators. She said, "The current conservative political climate, which is incredibly hostile to the mere mention of homosexuality, has made many teachers afraid of talking to kids about gays and lesbians".

The lack of available information motivated Chasnoff to continue trying to complete the film. Chasnoff and producer Helen Cohen talked to American teachers who already had curricula involving gay people. It was hard for them to gain entry into the schools, as multiple staff and parents did not want to be recorded. Some of the parents kept their children away from the school during filming.

Chasnoff said in 1999, "Sadly, part of the reason I think the film is being picked up is because of the time. Our campaign falls within the same window of time that the Matthew Shepard murder and trial are going on, the murder of Billy Jack Gaither, and now Colorado", referring to the homophobic language that had been used to harass the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

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