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It's Elementary—Talking About Gay Issues In School
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It's Elementary takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look at one of today's most controversial topics – whether and how gay issues should be discussed in schools. Rather than focusing on the political debate between adults, though, the film takes the point of view of the school children. At its heart are inspiring scenes in which elementary and middle school teachers find creative ways to confront anti-gay prejudice.
It's Elementary is the first film of its kind to address anti-gay prejudice by providing adults with practical lessons on how to talk with kids about gay people. Hailed as "a model of intelligent directing," It's Elementary shows that children are eager and able to wrestle with stereotypes and absorb new facts about what it means to be gay or lesbian.
Since it aired on more than 100 public television stations in 1999, It's Elementary has fueled a growing movement of educators and parents — gay and straight alike — who are committed to preventing pervasive homophobia and anti-gay violence. The film shows what happens when kids in kindergarten through eighth grade discuss lesbian- and gay-related topics in age-appropriate ways. Shot in six public and private schools, It's Elementary models excellent teaching about family diversity, name-calling, stereotypes, community building and more.
It's Elementary has won numerous awards, has been acquired by nearly 3,000 educational institutions, and has received widespread acclaim from educators, policymakers, parents and religious leaders. Not surprisingly, It's Elementary has also been relentlessly condemned by the conservative right.
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"A model of intelligent directing." International Documentary
"Smart, rewarding, enormously valuable" Howard Rosenberg Los AngelesTimes
"Could become one of the most important films ever devoted to lesbian and gay issues." Barry Walters San Francisco Examiner
"A sterling production & highly recommended for parents, educators and other adults." Booklist, American Library Association
"In the film, ignorance is replaced with fact, stereotype with information, and hate with a more tolerant attitude. You can see students becoming more comfortable with something that left them confused and scared." David Zurawick Baltimore Sun
"When parents aren’t teaching against hatred and name-calling at home, teachers are left to deal with the consequences, and this program can help." Diane Holloway Austin American-Statesman
"The real stars of the video are the kids, who are often light-years ahead of their parents and societal norms in understanding what prejudice is all about." Doug Ireland The Nation
"Remarkable… should be in any library collection interested in education, community issues or gay and lesbian studies." G. Handman Video Librarian
"It’s Elementary should be consoling to parents who are eager to raise good-hearted children but who can’t imagine how this topic can be addressed in school." Editorial, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Endorsements
“More than ten years after its creation, It’s Elementary remains an indispensable and unparalleled resource for school personnel. Educators must be proactive about addressing prejudice and bias if students are to stay in school and realize their full potential. The NEA strongly encourages educators to use It’s Elementary as a means of ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for every child.†Reg Weaver, National Education Association
“Ten years after its original release, It’s Elementary is still inspiring educators to address homophobia and create classrooms where all youth are respected. It should be mandatory for all new teachers if we are serious about raising kids to be free of hate and prejudice.†Judy Shepard, Executive Director Matthew Shepard Foundation
“It’s Elementary is the most important film dealing with LGBT issues and safe schools ever made. It took a topic that was mystifying to many people and made it real, inspiring an entire generation of educators to see how they could make a difference…. No other film has had a bigger impact on LGBT issues in the schools.†Kevin Jennings, Executive Director Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
“It’s Elementary is not only engaging and relevant, but also capable of raising challenging issues with sensitivity and respect. Regardless of their personal beliefs, my early childhood education students find Its Elementary to be entertaining, thought-provoking, and realistic, deepening their understanding of the challenges of teaching in diverse communities.†Randi B. Wolfe, Ph.D., Director of Workplace Development Los Angeles Universal Preschool
“It’s Elementary inspired both the schools and the families in our community. When our PTA introduced It’s Elementary to county school administrators, they decided to implement mandatory training for teachers to address anti-gay discrimination and name-calling for the first time in Maryland schools. And at the same time, the kitchen-table conversations the film promoted at home resulted in the parents in our community signaling a new ‘family value’ of respect for difference and a devotion to creating hate-free schools.†Tim Hannapel, Past PTA President Piney Branch Elementary, Takoma Park, MD
“Our experience is that the teachers in our pews want to make a safe space for their students to be who they are and to be respectful of others. It’s Elementary demonstrates how thoughtful teachers can address a topic that is controversial but also fundamental for the creation of a welcoming classroom. Thanks for the wonderful resource!†Jan Ressege, Minister for Public Education and Witness United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
“For a number of years now, It’s Elementary has been a vital resource for introducing the important issue of sexuality into the teacher education programs at Columbia University’s Teachers College. This fine film offers a variety of models showing how anti-gay prejudice and harassment can be appropriately addressed in K-8 classrooms and opens up a space for constructive dialogue about this sensitive topic.†Margaret S. Crocco, Professor and Program coordinator Social Studies Education Teachers College, Columbia University
“As a specialist for equity and diversity, the number one question I receive from teachers is, ‘How do I address gay and lesbian issues in my classroom?’ That is why I show It’s Elementary in all of the professional development trainings I facilitate for teachers. This amazing video’s illustration of strategies to address anti-gay bias with students as young as first grade is not only informative but very entertaining. I would highly recommend it to all educators concerned with the safety and climate of their classrooms.†Stephen Jimenez Project 10, Los Angeles Unified School District
“It’s Elementary is the most comprehensive tool for child educators who want to instill the belief that all people deserve to be treated with respect. Teachers, educational administrators, and clergy of all ages, backgrounds, and faiths have found this discussion to be important and necessary. Ten years after its original release, the film continues to be a unique resource for addressing the stereotypes and prejudice that still cause children to be excluded, bullied, and physically hurt.†Rebecca Stapel-Wax, Director The Rainbow Center, Jewish Family and Career Services
“The Madison Metropolitan School District is proud to have served as one of the sites for the original filming of It’s Elementary. The film has been and continues to be an important and outstanding resource for our district to discuss issues related to sexual orientation, which affect our parents, students, staff, and community across all grade levels.†Art Rainwater, Superintendent Madison Metropolitan School District
“Groundbreaking—a must-see for educational policymakers everywhere.†Luis O. Reyes, Coordinator Coalition for Educational Excellence for English Language Learners
“Packed with humor, compassion, real people, real kids and solid information, It’s Elementary is a superb educational tool—one that is very appropriate for religious communities working toward full acceptance of lesbian and gay people.†Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Director Taube Center for Jewish Life, Jewish Community Center, San Francisco
“Deciding to address homophobia without showing It’s Elementary would be like going to a baseball game and not playing the national anthem. The film is an absolute must-see for any school or organization that is serious about addressing anti-gay prejudice.†Tom Little, Director Park Day School, Oakland, California
“It’s Elementary ought to be mandatory viewing for anyone involved in secular or religious education. As a Christian minister, I have found this film to be a tremendous tool for helping to generate conversation on this important topic with groups of all ages.†The Reverend Philip Cable Emmanuel-Howard Park United Church Awards
CINE Golden Eagle
Outstanding Film Documentary, GLAAD Media Award
Multicultural Media Award, National Association for Multicultural Education
Best Documentary, Chicago International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Best Documentary, Pittsburgh International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Best Documentary, Santa Barbara Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Best Documentary, Santa Fe Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival
Best Documentary, San Francisco Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival
Best Documentary, Turin (Italy ) International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Juror’s Choice Award, Charlotte Film Festival
Audience Award, Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
Best Educational Film, Northern Lights (Alaska) International Film Festival
Best Feature Audience Award, Barcelona International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Silver Apple, National Educational Media Network
Silver Spire, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco International Film Festival
Honorable Mention, Milan Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Honor Award, Skipping Stones
Debra Chasnoff Debra Chasnoff is an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has fueled progressive social-change movements in many fields. She is a the president and senior producer at GroundSpark and co-creator of The Respect for All Project, a program that produces media and training resources to help prevent prejudice among young people. Her Respect for All films include: Straightlaced—How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up (2009; director/producer) about the gender and sexuality struggles teenagers face today; Let's Get Real (2003; director/producer), a powerful documentary about young teens' experiences with name-calling and bullying in which youth speak up about racial tensions, anti-gay taunting, sexual harassment and much more; That's a Family! (2000; director/producer), which looks at family diversity from a kids' perspective, and was screened at the (Clinton!) White House and been embraced by scores of national children's advocacy, education and civil-rights organizations; and It's Elementary - Talking About Gay Issues in School (1996; director/producer), which was hailed as "a model of intelligent directing" by International Documentary and has served as a catalyst for schools all over the world to become more proactive in addressing anti-gay prejudice in the classroom. In 2007, Chasnoff directed It's STILL Elementary, a retrospective look at why It's Elementary was originally produced, the response it drew from the conservative right, and the impact the film has had on the national safe schools movement and some of the original students who appeared in the film. Chasnoff's other film credits include the Oscar-winning Deadly Deception—General Electric, Nuclear Weapons & Our Environment (1991; director/producer), a crucial component of a successful international grassroots campaign to pressure GE out of the nuclear-weapons industry; Homes & Hands - Community Land Trusts in Action (1998; co-director), which is used extensively to inspire local communities to explore new models of creating permanently affordable housing; Wired for What? (1999; director/producer), part of the PBS series Digital Divide about the push to computerize education; Choosing Children (1984; director/producer), which explored the once seemingly impossible idea that lesbians and gay men could become parents; One Wedding and a Revolution (2004:Director/Co-producer), captures the frantic days leading up to the bold political decision of San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to start issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Chasnoff serves on the national advisory board for Frameline, the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and Jewish Voices for Peace. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and lives in San Francisco. Her two sons have been the inspiration for many of her films.
It's Still Elementary
Ten years after the original "It's Elementary" the filmmakers investigate the impact on the original students who were filmed learning about LGBT people. A riveting story about the impact of documentary film and activism.
Subject: Women's Studies/Men's Studies
That's a Family!
A poignant, funny, and crucial documentary in which children were asked what they would like other kids to know about their diverse family structures.
Subject: Children, Youth & Families
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