Maryland School Accused of Not Notifying Change of Ex-gay's Lifestyle in Educational Film

By Vivian S. Park

Noe Gutierrez, a former homosexual who is now Christian, accused school district of one county in Maryland for showing a video that features his former homosexual lifestyle without mentioning the change of his lifestyle.

Before becoming a Christian, Gutierrez was featured in “It’s Elementary,” a video filmed in 1996 to be used as a resource for students to discuss homosexual issues in public schools. He explained to school officials that he was no longer living as a homosexual and that he wanted the school district to stop showing the video and to issue a disclaimer unless the story of how he changed his lifestyle is included in the film. However the school district ignored his request.

"If you're using this video as an educational tool [and not including the fact he is no longer homosexual] ... you're not giving them the full story," Gutierrez said. "So I just asked them to do that. And I also said not only is it unfair, but it's censorship -- you're censoring the full message."

Gutierrez said the school committee has so far refused to notify parents and teachers of his lifestyle change, as have the producers of It's Elementary.

"They don't really believe that a person like myself can exist," he explains. "They don't believe that someone who once integrated their identity into homosexual life could reintegrate their identity into a heterosexual life. That just seems too far out for them."

Gutierrez will be featured in a new film documentary “I Do Exist” along with four other ex-gays.

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