Rainbows across the Silver Screen – West Valley’s Gay Movie Night

By Avi Vieira
Glendale

OnenTen West Valley eased the throttle back on its recent constructive and creative projects to have a simple and fun movie night for the youth and volunteers. A selection of LGBT and related films were presented to the group for a vote such as Latter Days, Saved!, and The Birdcage. As the majority of folks hadn’t seen any of the films in question; voting on a winning title was a little slow, but in the end Saved! was chosen: a teen drama-comedy (dramedy?) fat packed with religious satire.

Starring Macaulay Culkin, Mandy Moore, Jenna Malone, and Patrick Fugit; the movie address religion, faith, homophobia, teen pregnancy, and social ostracism as a born again teen gets pregnant after having sex with her gay boyfriend trying to “save” him, causing her to question her faith and divine will; resulting in her old friends abandoning her and new ones presenting themselves and their support in her life. Lighthearted and often irreverent, the movie used humor well to address such heavy topics that had our youth both laughing and discussing after the movie was over.

While many believe that the scenarios in the movie are the work of fiction, or unheard of in recent times; In January 2009, the medical journal ‘Pediatrics’ published a study showing that gay teens who face a high level of familial rejection are several times more likely to engage in various risky behaviors, including unprotected sexual intercourse with the opposite sex, often to try to “prove” to themselves or others that they are not really gay, often having detrimental results. Support from peers and groups such as one n ten, have had a positive impact on such attitudes and behaviors though, perhaps one day making the scenarios of the movie complete comedic fiction.