An intimate portrait of growing up gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender non-conforming, and transgender in the Pacific Northwest. Issues discussed include microaggressions, implicit bias, coming out, the gender binary, discrimination at the workplace, and family dynamics.

A nine-year-old boy's preening obsession with straightening his hair elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, in this tender but clear-eyed coming-of-age tale. Junior is a beautiful boy, with big brown eyes, a delicate frame, and a head of luxurious dark curls. But Junior aches to straighten those curls, to acquire a whole new look befitting his emerging fantasy image of himself as a long-haired singer. As the opportunity...

Homophobia didn't just happen: orchestrated campaigns by cultural institutions and public figures have systemically instilled anti-LGBTQ prejudice into American culture by shaping public opinion. Although the LGBTQ+ community has witnessed progress with the Marriage Equality Act and award-winning LGBTQ+ shows and films, the psychic damage to gay people is deep and events like the tragedy that struck the Orlando PULSE nightclub is a reminder that hateful...

Despite a sea of change in attitudes in recent years, the LGBTQ+ community still faces much discrimination. This affirming book empowers readers to confront discrimination and offers practical guidance on navigating a sometimes hostile world where not everyone believes that LGBTQ+ people should have the same rights as everyone else. Readers who define as LGBTQ+ will find themselves encouraged, and those who do not will learn how to be supportive allies...

Examining the complicated relationships between schools, religion, and human rights, Equality U is a feature-length documentary following a group of 33 young activists on the Soulforce Equality Ride, a first of its kind, two-month, cross-country tour to confront anti-gay discrimination policies at 19 conservative religious and military colleges. Against the backdrop of the Equality Ride, the film focuses on seven of the 'Equality Riders' and two courageous...

"Captures the remarkable chain of events that unfold when the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson's wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson's journey dramatically illustrates the universal challenges of being an outsider in a conservative environment and the transformation that is possible when those...

In October 1998, Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left to die. The horror of this murder pushed Laramie into the media spotlight and sparked a nationwide debate about homophobia, gay-bashing and hate crimes. Filmmaker Beverly Seckinger, who grew up in Laramie, was compelled to return to her hometown to see how this event had altered the site of her own closeted adolescence. Along the way she meets "God-hates-fags" Westboro...

"Joel's new job at the video store is just what the therapist ordered. But what happens if the first true friend he's made in years finds out about What Was Wrong With Him? Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague has a new prescription from his therapist--a part-time job--the first step toward the elusive Normal life he's been so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Lucky for Joel, ROYO Video is hiring. It's the perfect fresh start--Joel even...