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Out In The Silence, a film about the struggles of a gay teen, may have had screenings in major film fests and even a PBS airing, but it’s a planned screening at a local library in Pennsylvania that has religious fanatics threatening action.
The film’s director, Joe Wilson, has tried to screen the piece of work specifically in rural, small towns to raise GLBT visibility on the smaller scale. So, the Coudersport Public Library offered to host a free screening and discussion tomorrow night. But that screening has already been canceled and reinstated after threatening and volatile phone calls were made to library officials, condemning them for showing a gay film.
On Monday, the library actually canceled the screening, citing that it “cannot be involved” due to the large number of calls they had received from conservative ministers in the area. Thankfully, later on that day the screening was back on, stating that, “We want our library to be a forum for the exchange of ideas, not a place to be ruled by bullies with agendas.”
Of course those against the film’s screening weren’t going to stop there. Threats of protests and more angry phone calls are going down. And it’s now been reported that the American Family Association has stepped in and called on the library to censor the film with an Action Alert.
When it comes to emotionally charged calls like this, a lot can happen in 24 hours. We’ll keep you updated on whether or not the screening actually does take place tomorrow night, and more importantly, what those in attendance take away from it.
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