Breaking the Silence

“It gets better,” the national YouTube video campaign assures gay and lesbian teenagers who confront homophobia. Sometimes, though, before things get better, life can get a lot harder. Out in the Silence, a documentary by filmmaker Joe Wilson tracks the struggles of a small-town gay teen tormented by classmates and...

By Patrick Williams

May 24, 2012

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“It gets better,” the national YouTube video campaign assures gay and lesbian teenagers who confront homophobia. Sometimes, though, before things get better, life can get a lot harder. Out in the Silence, a documentary by filmmaker Joe Wilson tracks the struggles of a small-town gay teen tormented by classmates and ignored by school authorities in his rural, conservative hometown of Oil City, Pennsylvania, which also happens to be the hometown of Wilson. Wilson is drawn into the boy’s struggle after he announces his wedding to another man in the local newspaper, a move that leads him to confront the bigotry afflicting Oil City and capture the battle on video for this critically acclaimed doc. Out in the Silence gets its North Texas premiere at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Angelika Plano, 7205 Bishop Road. Tickets are $12 ($15 at the door) and proceeds benefit Equality Texas, an organization lobbying the Texas Legislature to eliminate discrimination against the LGBT community. Advance tickets and more information are available at equalitytexas.org.
Wed., May 30, 2012

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Patrick Williams is editor-in-chief of the Dallas Observer. Before joining the staff in July 1997, Patrick worked for the Southern Illinoisan, Amarillo Globe News and San Antonio Express-News. As editor-in-chief, he oversees the newsroom and guides the coverage of both the Dallas Observer’s printed publication and online website.

Contact: Patrick Williams