• In 2013, A Queer Endeavor produced its first film and accompanying resources, “Breaking the Silence.” Since then, we have used it to center the voices of youth and guide our professional development with teachers all over the nation. 
  • In 2023, A Queer Endeavor produced its second film, “Reclaiming the Narrative: A Documentary About LGBTQ+ Students” in collaboration with Denver Public Schools.
  • Resources and ways to purchase our films coming soon! If you have any questions, please contact us. 

Reclaiming the Narrative: A Documentary About LGBTQ+ Students (2023)

  • Stories of LGBTQ+ youth often feature a damage-centered narrative, and LGBTQ+ professional development opportunities for educators tend to focus on foundations of learning—pronouns, inclusive vocabulary, and all-gender bathrooms. While these are incredibly important subjects, there’s more that’s needed to help educators understand how to develop and nurture relationships with LGBTQ+ students, and how to celebrate the whole LGBTQ+ child.  This is why Denver Public Schools and A Queer Endeavor have partnered to create a new documentary, Reclaiming the Narrative: A Film About LGBTQ+ Students. The Denver Public Schools Culture, Equity and Leadership Team and A Queer Endeavor—a nationally renowned center for gender and sexuality in education based in the University of Colorado Boulder’s School of Education—will celebrate the premiere of the film on Monday, June 5, at a private event with educators, students, and families. We can coordinate attendance with the media.  “Reclaiming the Narrative” is an important film that features the stories and perspectives of 16 students in 13 Denver high schools. Their stories paint a broader and more nuanced picture of LGBTQ+ youth. While recognizing some of the challenges LGBTQ+ students face in schools, their stories reframe and disrupt detrimental narratives with moments of  joy and celebrations of intersectional identities.  Denver Public Schools and A Queer Endeavor are confident the film—which will be the foundation for a new professional learning opportunity for educators in Colorado and beyond—will provide educators with a deeper understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth.

Watch the trailer (English)

Watch the trailer (Spanish)

Breaking the Silence (2013)

  • Breaking the Silence: Honoring the Voices of LGBTQ Youth and Allies in Supporting Our Teachers, the feature film, is a 22-minute documentary that explores five central themes: Students Framing the Problem; Teachers’ Fears; LGBTQ Teachers; Teachers’ responsibilities; and Recommendations. Highlighting youth perspectives, this film casts a spotlight on the nature and impact of the problems that must be troubled with respect to gender and sexual diversity (GSD) in school contexts. Students locate the problem in bullying, homophobic language and silence around LGBTQ people and topics that pervades school spaces, and also in teachers’ inaction. Teachers share fears about the limited knowledge they bring to these topics, fears of “saying the wrong thing,” as well as fears of parent pushback and the possibility of getting fired for addressing topics of GSD. LGBTQ teachers talk about the complexities and emotions that surround their own processes of being “out” (or not) at school, and students reflect on how the visibility of “out” teachers can provide crucial support for students who are exploring their own processes of becoming. All participants weigh in to explore teachers’ roles and responsibilities and to provide recommendations that teachers should consider as they move toward creating safer, more affirming schools and classrooms.