''Jim in Bold'' is a documentary about Jim Wheeler, a gay high school student in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

in 1997 because of constant harassment at school. The film was created by the

Equality Forum Malcolm L. Lazin (born December 5, 1943) is an American social activist, prosecutor, entrepreneur and educator. His endeavors include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights, federal and state law enforcement, developing Phila ...

and directed by Glenn Holsten. The original music was composed by Michael Aharon.

Synopsis

The film, titled after a poem by Wheeler, details the abuse he received at the hands of his classmates because of his

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. It also presents interviews and a cross-nation road-trip with members of '' Young Gay America'', an online teen organization for gays, and compares the teasing and physical abuse Jim suffered to the increasingly open attitudes towards homosexuality six years later when the film was first shown.

Screenings and reactions

The film premiered at the Equality Forum 2003 on May 1 at The

Kimmel Center The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue at 300 South Broad Street and the corner of Spruce Street, along the stretch known as the Avenue of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. A later showing, held September 28, 2003, at the

Pennsylvania State Museum The State Museum of Pennsylvania is a non-profit museum at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is run by the state through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and was created to preserve and interpret the region ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

as a fundraiser for Common Roads, a local gay youth support group, was protested by 10 members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a religious institution well known for their extreme anti-gay views. Because they announced their intention to protest in advance, they were overwhelmed by over 800 counter-protesters who declared the day "Unity Day". The counter-protest was organized by the Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania led by community organizer Reynaldo Lacaba.

References

External links

Jim in Bold official website
* 2003 films Documentary films about violence against LGBT people Films about bullying Documentary films about suicide LGBT youth LGBT and education 2003 documentary films 2003 LGBT-related films Documentary films about Pennsylvania Lebanon, Pennsylvania 2000s English-language films 2000s American films American LGBT-related documentary films Documentary films about gay men {{LGBT-documentary-film-stub