Gay or Straight: Is there a Choice? a.k.a. Homosexuality & Lesbianism Jenni Olson

Duration: 1200 ft.

Year Published: 1975

Creator: Jenni Olson

Complete Record: This early documentary offers a genuinely interesting exploration of the issues in the debate about hereditary vs. environmental factors in homosexuality. Interviews with "average" gays and lesbians (we see a gay man riding his bike, shopping, and playing his piano; and a lesbian couple washing their Volvo and buying groceries) are juxtaposed against discussions with psychiatrists. The result is a very nuanced portrait of contemporary 1975 Canadian norms and beliefs about homosexuality. Most of the psychiatrists offer quite enlightened views and discuss the negative consequences of homophobia and oppression. Highlights include footage of George Heslop from the Community Homophile Organization speaking to a high school classroom about being gay and an interview with Dr. Ron Langevin who makes a genuine plea for tolerance. Director McBreary also presents an interview with a psychiatrist who practices aversive conditioning on his clients and claims that it is possible to cure homosexuality. We then see footage of aversive conditioning (a man is shown slides of homoerotic and arousing images of men and is simultaneously given an electric shock), and then we hear from a man who actually went through this type of treatment. The film also includes a discussion with a group of five gay roommates discussing gay rights, and a small amount of footage and stills from gay rights demonstrations.