It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School

It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School
1996 VHS release
Directed by	Debra Chasnoff Helen Cohen
Written by	Debra Chasnoff
Produced by	Debra Chasnoff Helen Cohen
Cinematography	Rick Butler Stephen McCarthy Patsy Northcutt Fred Wessel Fawn Yacker Alex Zakrzewski
Edited by	Shirley Thompson
Music by	Jon Herbst
Production companies	GroundSpark Women's Educational Media
Distributed by	New Day Films PBS
Release date	1996 (1996)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Debra Chasnoff and Helen Cohen. It provides educators with information on how to teach elementary schoolchildren to be tolerant of gay and lesbian people. The film was noted as the "first of its kind" and was generally well received, although there was some backlash from conservatives.^[1] It was released in several film festivals, and had screenings in the 2000s.

The documentary received little support from PBS, owing to backlash from the American Family Association. Prior to airing the film, television stations received calls, letters, and e-mails from people who did not want PBS program directors to broadcast It's Elementary. The film was awarded the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary, Best Documentary at the Reeling Film Festival, and the Silver Spire from the San Francisco International Film Festival, among other awards. The film had two sequels: That's a Family! and It's Still Elementary.