Straight Acting Directed by Spencer Windes, 2007

Sport, like war and religion, is one of the sanctioned places where men are allowed to show love and concern for each other. Produced by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Amy Sommer (“Waco: The Rules of Engagement”), STRAIGHT ACTING shows one gay man’s journey “out of the closet” and onto the rugby pitch, the rodeo circuit and the hockey rink. The term “straight acting” refers to gay men who “act” like heterosexual men by engaging in masculine dominated activities – like playing sports. Men who fit the term face a serious problem, often finding themselves on the outskirts of society. They don’t feel “gay enough” for other gay men; yet at the same time, they are marginalized by straights. Often dissatisfied with life in the gay ghetto, or tired of the stereotypes forced onto them, these men look for a place where they can be openly gay while still doing the things that they like to do as men. Across America and abroad, teams of gay men and lesbian women are forming who wish to practice their sports not in a gay way, but in an open way. Defying both gay culture and straight expectations, STRAIGHT ACTING shows that there is more that unites us than divides us, and speaks volumes about the narrow-minded nature of the “straight” sports world.