Review of Small Town Gay Bar (2007) by Robert C — 04 Dec 2009

While very thoughtfully made, this has to be one of the most depressing films that I've seen in a long time.

As if the blatant homophobia and prejudice were not depressing enough...the fact that the "bars" that these folks relish and take refuge in are often little more then rundown houses or shacks with a strobe light, beer cooler and a CD player was just heartbreaking.

So desperate for a place to "fit in" and make some sort of honest connection with like minded people, these folks were just happy to be anywhere where they could be themselves. But I was more then a little amazed that in such a repressed part of the country that nearly every gay or lesbian shown in this film was "off the charts" on the gay meter.

We are talking Flaming Boys/Men, Raging Drag Queens, and some pretty Butch Lesbians. Not that I'm advocating hiding who you are. I just feel that if I were living in an area where my life could be at stake for "being who I am" I think I would make more of an effort to "blend in" or move to somewhere more civilized. Let the bigots and the Jesus freaks have the backwoods!

My main problem with the film is that I didn't feel that the point came across as clearly as it needed to, about how all of the negative aspects of "gay lifestyle" that the bigots and hypocrites always seem to focus on (promiscuity, infidelity, drugs, etc.) are for the most part just a prevalent in "hetero lifetyles" as well.

I guess as documentaries go...it does it's job for the most part. It makes you think.