Straightlaced: New Film and Campaign on Youth and Gender Pressures

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In the wake of the murder of Lawrence King, GroundSpark is igniting a national dialogue about youth and gender with a new feature-length documentary Straightlaced - How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up.

Straightlaced takes a powerful and intimate look at how popular pressures around gender and sexuality are shaping the lives of American teens. The film proudly showcases the diverse and unscripted voices of more than 50 youth from a wide range of high schools across the country, who speak with breathtaking honesty, insight, and humor about gender roles and the struggle to be who they really are.

GroundSpark is embarking on a national educational campaign with the film, featuring a curriculum for high school classrooms, professional development workshop for educators, community screenings, and media outreach. Screenings have already been scheduled for Wyoming, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Alabama, with more events on the horizon for all 50 states.

Media Statement by Debra Chasnoff, GroundSpark Executive Director and Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker:

“Straightlaced shows that gender performance pressures and homophobia have disastrous effects on all youth, no matter how they identify. Students from across the country have shared a powerful and urgent message with us -- the pressures that led to the murder of Lawrence King are being intensely felt by all youth, all day, every day. Our nation’s schools are a tinderbox for this violence to continue, and that is why we are launching a new national campaign today to model the possibility of dialogue and action, offering teens and adults a way out of the constant anxiety and fear and toward more inclusive, empowering relationships.” Debra Chasnoff is available for interviews through the above media contact. She is an experienced media spokesperson who has appeared on outlets from CNN’s Situation Room to Fox morning shows, NPR and PBS.

Learn More about Straightlaced and Watch the Trailer HERE.

GroundSpark creates visionary films and dynamic education campaigns that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just world. The Respect For All Project, a program of GroundSpark, facilitates the development of inclusive schools and communities that are free from bias and prejudice by providing resources, support and training to educators and youth service providers.