FILM REVIEW EXAMPLE by Meg Sandifer Coming Out In Rural America. 29 minutes. 1999. GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. P.O. Box 80669, Lincoln, NE 68501-0669. 800-228-4630. $24.95. In Coming Out in Rural America, we are introduced to Martin, Scott, Katie, and Alex who are four very likable people who grew up in rural Nebraska. They are all homosexuals. Alex is also transgender. These young adults are the only gay or lesbian people that they or any of their community members know. Katie's father, Tom, and the campus pastor in Kearney, Paul Coen, also discuss what it is like to be accepting, affirming, talking, and listening. The film provides an effective understanding of the process of coming out in a close-knit community, where everyone's life is everyone else's business. Film clips with narration complement the interviews with these six people. The clips are ordinary scenes of rural Nebraska, such as a small town parade, a high school basketball game, lunch at a fast food restaurant, and a walk through a college campus. These ordinary images are overlaid with a straightforward discussion of issues such as coming out, stereotypes and myths, childhood experiences, high school conformity, college diversity, and homophobia. Other themes include life in a rural community, alcohol and drug use, and religion. The phrase "in rural America" is an integral, essential component of the message portrayed in the video. Small towns are regarded as the backbone of our nation. Nebraska is comprised of small farming towns held together by a commonality of values. Family life, hard work, and neighborly assistance have closely allied these people. Scott and Katie discuss the enormous pressure to fit in. Katie's dad cries as he tells a story of people driving past Katie as she struggled to change the tire on her car, refusing to assist her because she is lesbian. While the pressure to conform is strong, Alex observes that because everybody in a small town is a "personal landmark," his personal credibility became well established. He remained part of the community through the coming out process because people saw him every day, active in all the usual small town activities. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are often shunned by people close to them and feel they must hide their sexual orientation. Allies outside their closest circles can play an important role in accepting and affirming, talking and listening. The video's interviewees had allies in grade school and high school, but they did not experience institutionalized acceptance until they reached college. The video notes that the coming out process may be difficult because of the myths and stereotypes people have about homosexuality: all theater majors are gay; gay men are effeminate; gay men are all hairdressers; and homosexuals are always on the prowl for quick and easy sex. Further, the film shows that homosexuals are just like anyone else. The difference is that gays and lesbians are attracted to individuals of the same sex. The video then introduces ideas about gender roles and socialization. Thus, the audience is primed for a discussion of a variety of sociological concepts, including socialization, gender roles, stigma, and labeling theory. This remarkable film about four young homosexual adults in rural Nebraska is useful for a variety of courses that deal with issues of diversity, such as family and gender role courses. It could also be shown in introductory level courses, and adolescence and society courses, within the context of identity and stigma. It would be useful in any course examining community and community influences on human behavior. Coming Out In Rural America could round out a rural sociology course. It literally could be used in any course that looks at social issues in America. While this video will resonate most strongly with those in rural areas, it would definitely expand the focus of urban viewers. The film has a broad appeal and would be appropriate for high school and undergraduate audiences. It is appropriate for general audiences with little or no background in the issues presented. But while Coming Out In Rural America is a very respectful, non-sensationalized depiction of life in rural Nebraska for four homosexual people, the video is clearly supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles. It could be quite controversial in some religiously affiliated academic settings. The length of the video makes it ideal for a single class session. The instructor might invite discussion using the following questions: How do the images and interviews presented in the video match your preconceptions about gay issues? What agents of socialization have influenced your ideas and attitudes toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people? Who do you think might benefit from seeing this video? Are there contexts that you would hesitate to show a video supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people? Why? If you were coming out, who would be the first person you would tell? Who would be the person you would be most concerned about telling? Why? What role does an ally play in the coming out process? Is it difficult to imagine yourself as being gay? Why or why not? How would you respond if someone close to you came out to you? (Link this to a discussion of identity or stigma.) Do you think it would be more difficult for someone to be gay in rural America than in urban areas? Why or why not? If you were gay, what might be the positive aspects of growing up in a rural area? Alex, who is transgender, states that one of the functions of elementary school is to socialize children to be "normal." How does this gender role socialization occur? Pastor Coen advocates seeing a person as a person, not as a stereotype or a pronoun. Use labeling theory to explore his suggestion. What institutionalized forms of acceptance were available in the college or university setting that were not available in high school in the small towns? At the end of the film, Scott says, "Coming out is coming to terms, coming to grips with who you are and letting other people help you through that, or asking for other people's help. And I think that's the same from coast to coast." Coming Out In Rural America is a well-produced film that clearly articulates various dimensions of the coming out process within the context of rural America at the turn of the millennium. Meg Sandifer University of St. Thomas The Editor of Teaching Sociology is Liz Grauerholz. For articles, notes, and conversations, send manuscripts to: Liz Grauerholz, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 403, Orlando, FL 32816-1360. Phone: 407-823-2227, Fax: 407-823-3026. For book, video, and software reviews, send manuscripts to: Jay Howard, Department of Sociology, Indiana University Columbus, 4601 Central Avenue, Columbus, IN 47203-1769. For questions about manuscript processing, contact Monica Mendez, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 403, Orlando, FL 32816-1360. Phone: 407-823-2227, Fax: 407-823-3026. The Webmaster is Pauline H. Pavlakos. Observations on form and egregious spelling may be directed to Ms. Pavlakos. The Teaching Sociology Web Page is located at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Le Moyne College, the Jesuit College of Central New York. 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