Warren

Throckmorton is director of college counseling and an associate professor

of psychology at Grove City (Penn.) College. Professor and columnist,

Dr. Throckmorton's articles have been carried by over 40 newspapers.

Learn about the new documentary "I Do Exist" at www.idoexist.net .

He may be contacted via his website at www.drthrockmorton.com.

"It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School" is

an award-winning video that aims to give teachers ideas about how to discuss

gay issues in schools.

Released in 1996 by producers Helen Cohen and Oscar-winner Debra Chasnoff,

this video is still quite controversial, in part because it shows elementary

school children talking about homosexuality in public schools.

In one of the segments, there is a young gay man answering questions from

middle school students about what it is like to be gay.

The film is still being shown in schools but there is a little-known fact

about that young man that today's viewers don't know.

The young man in the video is no longer gay.

And that is something producers Chasnoff and Cohen as well as at least one

school committee in Maryland don't want you to know.

Noe' Gutierrez, the young man that told his story in the video, came

out as gay at 16 but then came out again as ex-gay at 24.

On "It's Elementary," he was filmed speaking to San Francisco

area middle school on behalf of Community United Against Violence.

Mr. Gutierrez was quite involved in gay advocacy and frequently spoke publicly

on this topic. However, about six years ago, Mr. Gutierrez went through a

period of re-evaluation and change. The end result was his change of sexual

identity from gay to straight.

Without fanfare, Mr. Gutierrez went through a profound experience of transformation

and after a while of working through his experience began telling others

of his change.

When ex-gay spokesman John Paulk went into Mr. P's gay bar in Washington

D.C. several years ago, the country knew about it. Even though Mr. Paulk

did not fall sexually and is still happily married to former lesbian Anne

Paulk, the media turned his lapse of judgment into a referendum on ex-gay

ministries.

When Mr. Gutierrez came out a second time as ex-gay, no one wrote about

it, even though in the eyes of many people, what he did was a nearly impossible

accomplishment. Amazingly, certain people want his story to stay unknown.

For instance, take filmmakers Chasnoff and Cohen.

When I began putting together plans to produce a video about gay-to-straight

change, I asked Ms. Chasnoff for permission to use the clip of Mr. Gutierrez

talking to the middle school students. She refused without giving reason.

I suppose she may feel that others knowing of his change would undermine

her project.

Another group that does not want to disclose Mr. Gutierrez's story

is the Montgomery County (Maryland) Citizen's Advisory Committee for

Family Life and Human Development. "It's Elementary" is a

video resource used in the Montgomery County school district.

However, Mr. Gutierrez wrote a letter requesting that if "It's

Elementary" is used, students should be made aware that he is no longer

gay.

Seems fair enough. He wants the rest of the story known and this seems a

fair way to do it. Simply tell the students or teachers that Mr. Gutierrez

is no longer gay and show the film.

The objective of tolerance for all people would seem to be enhanced by such

a procedure. However, the school committee refused to approve the letter

as a resource for teachers to use with the film.

Thus, students or teachers viewing this film would have no idea that one

of the speakers describing what it is like to be gay is no longer gay.

Why withhold this information? Why would anyone want to hide the facts from

teachers and students that people change?

Whatever the reasons for the reluctance of the school committee and filmmakers

to allow the reality of change to be known, Mr. Gutierrez has not remained

silent.

He has joined an ever growing group of former homosexuals who are telling

their stories. In fact, Noe' Gutierrez and four other ex-gays tell their

stories on the documentary I mentioned above.

If high schools want their teachers to be prepared to discuss gay issues

in schools, it's elementary that all the facts come out.