Word Is Out (1977)

Director:

Rob Epstein

Release Date:

31 January 1979 (France)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Gay Parent | Gay Interest | Coming Out | Homosexual History | Homosexual

Cast

John Burnside	...	Himself
Sally M. Gearhart	...	Herself
Elsa Gidlow	...	Herself
Harry Hay	...	Himself
Tede Mathews	...	Himself

Runtime:

124 min | 133 min (restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Mariposa Film Group

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

I remember when "Word Is Out" came out in 1978. Friends kept stopping me on the street to ask if I'd seen 'the movie.' As if there were no other.

I remember when "Word Is Out" came out in 1978. Acquaintances kept stopping me on the street to ask if I'd seen 'the movie.' As if there were no other. As soon as I saw it, I started asking people the same question.

It wasn't until I saw this film that I realized my whole life I had been trying to relate to straight romances, conflicts, comedies, and life experiences in general on the screen. When the film was done I wanted to see it all over again—immediately—to memorize the people and their stories. Every one of them said something that spoke to me very directly and strongly. I cannot explain or express my feelings after I watched, for the first time in my life, gay people—honestly and beautifully—tell what it's like to live in this country. I finally knew I belonged to a culture. I didn't feel as though I had to hide. I was not sick. I was not alone.

My story is not an anomaly. It is impossible to count the number of lives this film has changed by publicizing positive images of gay Americans for the first time ever. For thousands of people—gay and straight—it broke down stereotypes. It makes gay people identifiable even for those buried in the heartland of homophobic America because it's really about the universality of love and discovering who we really are. Everyone should see this movie.