60th Annual Meeting

October 19 - 27, 2013

Media Theatre 13 (open)

Pariah: Coming of Age Feeling Different

Pariah: Coming of Age Feeling Different is a contemporary American film that tells the story of Alike, a 17-year-old African-American girl, embracing her identity as a lesbian. She is coping with feeling different and faces a dilemma about revealing a sexual identity that is discrepant from family and social expectations ("coming out"). This Media Theatre explores family dynamics relevant to sexual orientation, gender nonconformity, and gender identify in the context of the cultural values of the teenage girl, her family, and the community. Discussion focuses on the unique complexities in caring for youth who are members of both ethnic and sexual (gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender variant, or transgender) minorities, as well as the need to respect the religious values of patients and families. Written and directed by Dee Rees, this film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and received the Excellence in Cinematography Award.