Library Journal published a feature story on Hayward Public Library’s teen filmmaking project, Now We Can Dance: The Story of the Hayward Gay Prom. The film is a remarkable achievement–a moving and inspiring look into the history, meaning, importance, and impact of the Hayward Gay Prom, one of the longest-running LGBTQ youth events of its kind in the country. It features several past and present attendees and organizers of the prom, as well as local leaders who played key roles in forming and supporting the event. Eighteen months in the making, the film was produced by local Hayward youth under the guidance of Academy-Award winning documentarian Debra Chasnoff (Deadly Deception; Let’s Get Real) and library staff with a grant from CalHumanities and additional support provided by Friends of Hayward Public Library.As well as being a celebration of a very special and unique youth event, Now We Can Dance masterfully and unflinchingly examines the pool of hate and intolerance that has been directed toward LGBTQ youth from the Gay Prom’s inception in 1995 to the present day, embodied in the sickening protests that accompany the event, and it brilliantly captures how the community literally “bands together” to respond to and neutralize these hateful displays. The manner in which the event’s supporters counteract the poisonous viewpoints of the protesters is nothing short of triumphant. A bit rough around the edges production-wise, but otherwise flawless in its passion and grace, Now We Can Dance, is unquestionably a landmark achievement in the history of HPL, one that “takes the concept of a local history project to the next level,” to paraphrase the LJ article.
The next stop for the film will hopefully be acceptance to the upcoming Frameline film festival in San Francisco where the film has been submitted for consideration, and beyond that, possible distribution to a wider audience via DVD.
Kudos to my colleague Laurie Willis for her extraordinary work producing this film.