Small Town Gay Bar

If the reality presented in this documentary is too much for some reviewers, that's too bad. Thankfully for the rest of us this is an incredibly well made, thoughtful documentary for people with enough maturity to realize that while not everything in life can be glowsticks and glitter, that doesn't make it any less worth living.

This documentary shows a lot of different sides of gay life through telling the story of several different gay bars in the "Bible belt," both hardships and the joys. Describing this movie as depressing (and deeming it unfit to see because of it) seems short- sighted in the extreme.

There are a lot of depressing moments. Any time Phelps gets any screen time it is dismaying, but he's a great figure to use to show the very extreme of anti-gay movements. If every queen is out getting blissed out of their mind and ignoring hate mongers like Phelps, his numbers only grow stronger. Know thy enemy. The filmmakers clearly juxtapose Phelps and his followers with the simple, sweet sentiments of the brother of a slain gay man. I think it was quite powerful.

And if anything, I think the film has a message of hope. Despite all the trials, the gay bars in little town are still sticking it out thanks to a few brave individuals, with arguably more heart and sense of community their well coiffed city counterparts can muster these days.\

The film does suffer a bit when it tries to tell the story of "Tula's" mostly because it explores it with less depth than Crossroads or Rumors and it feels a bit tacked on, even though some of the info it offered is interesting, especially in relation to the AFA. But that's my only real complaint.

As a young gay man, I found this movie inspiring. These people are the pioneers in the wild wild west of an oppressively straight (and yes, sometimes cruel) world. It's not safe for them, it's not easy - but they're finding their moments of joy and a place to belong without running away from the places they grew up.

It's easy to wonder - why stay? That's like asking a family in a bad neighborhood - why stay? If there are drug dealers at every corner and bullets flying through the window why do you stay? The truth is, it's not always easy to leave for a number of complicated reasons. There's economics, family, affection for a certain town or landscape... or a mixture of all of them. Should every LGBTQ person flee to a big city, protected in a gay ghetto bubble without having to worry about what is happening in the other 90% of the country? I don't think so. I'd never begrudge them for doing so, as almost every person in the homosexual community has had their fair share of knocks. But to write those who chose to stay off as stupid or miserabilists is unfair in the extreme.

I think they're heroes to be applauded, and I applaud the filmmakers for shining a light on them.

I've watched this film more than once. The only thing about it that is a "downer" is the discrimination and bigotry these people are forced to endure. They address a number of issues...the hostility toward homosexuals, the religious community that is against them, the fact that they have no sense of community with each other than within the walls of these bars.

Although they live under circumstances that are hostile to who they are, they seem like wonderful and delightful people. My favorite part is Jim Bishops speech in the limo. Now you have to watch it to know what I am referring to. You can find it on Netflix.

I can see where the message might be misinterpreted by the viewers. It's "normal" to have a gay culture in Vancouver or Toronto, however you see how folks in a small town in Mississippi are desperate to keep their one and only place to do something like hold hands with their partner without looking over their shoulder.

I grew up in a big city and now I live in a small town. I can say with certainty if a gay bar opened in rural Alberta there would be blood flowing in the street. Although everyone is folksy and nice and hospitable, I can guarantee a gay bar would go over like a pregnant pole vaulter.

Thanks for that insight, Malcolm. I only watched the movie because I'm a View Askew fanboy, but now I won't hesitate to share this gem with all of my non-VA friends as well.

This is a documentary about the history of homosexuality in a rural and religious part of America, with particular emphasis on a small local gay bar.

Instead of just focusing on the history of one gay bar, as a title suggests, it looks at the recent events related to homosexuality in the area. It tries to cover a bit of everything. It covers the tragedy of gay bashing, and the brutal murder of a young gay man. It covers the strong anti-gay stance of the local church. As a result, the negativity is both alarming and disturbing. Fortunately, to balance the tragic melancholy, it covers the joy of people having fun and meeting partners in the bar. It also empowers gay people to come out and live the life they want, as shown in the interview of a few drag queens in the limousine.

This is a comprehensive documentary of gay life in a rural part of America. I can imagine the difficulty in making this, and I do commend the filmmakers for their effort.

My heart goes out to all of the people in "Small Town Gay Bar." As a gay man from a small, rural community who left for the big city at age 18, I could identify with some of the sentiments about finding a home and a refuge within a gay bar.

All in all, though, I found the film very difficult to sit through...I had to wonder why people would stay in such a miserable setting. I'd have liked to see this question explored.

Also, all of the physical locations were depressing...rundown buildings, sad-looking mobile homes, and empty fields full of rusting cars and trash.

Is that really what these towns in Mississippi are like, or did the director only show us certain aspects?