Gay in Middle America: One Town’s Struggle with Religion and Bigotry

Details of the story are clearly communicated, and viewers will readily identify with some perspectives that they share.

Overview

An excellent sociological case study, this ABC News program examines the plight of Michael Shackelford, a 17-year-old homosexual struggling for acceptance in small-town Oklahoma. The video outlines the development of Shackelford’s situation: his early awareness of his sexual orientation, his inability to conform and placate his mother, the attention he receives in a Washington Post article, and the subsequent media abuse he and his church endure as a result. Complex and surprising in its observations—especially those concerning Shackelford’s Bible Belt community—the program sheds light on America’s increasingly troublesome cultural divisions.