Discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people is not always understood. Many people don’t realize the history of oppression against the LGBT community or understand the ways in which gays, lesbians and transgender people are still discriminated against. That’s where filmmaker Ryan James Yezak comes in. He has launched an effort to raise money to make a documentary film called Second Class Citizens about the gay rights movement.


Ryan spoke to Lesbian Life about his film project and what he hopes to accomplish by his efforts.

Lesbian Life: Tell me a bit about the film you hope to make.

Ryan James Yezak: The film I am making is about discrimination based on sexual orientation. I want to make a documentary that encompasses all areas in which the gay community is discriminated against. There are many areas in which gays, lesbians, and bisexuals do not have the same rights and opportunities as others in society. We must change this now.

Why is it important to tell the history of the gay rights movement?

It is important to tell the history of the gay rights movement because it shows where we have come from in the past few decades, where we currently stand, and where we need to get to. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. By showing people this, it inspires them to work harder towards equality. The more people that come together in support, the quicker this change is going to happen.

You’ve got some really big names associated with this project: Dustin Lance Black, Ellen DeGeneres, Wanda Sykes. How did you get them involved?

The big names that are included in The Gay Rights Movement video are not associated with the documentary as of now.

There are many public figures who have worked hard to help get us where we are and their inclusion in the video and in this project is a way of saying thank you to them.

What is the story you hope to tell?

There is a group of people living in this country that are being told in multiple ways that they are lesser of a human being than everyone else. They are being treated like second class citizens and they have been for a long time. My hope with the documentary is to bring this discrimination to the attention of the general audience. They do not know about all of the discrimination that we are facing. I want to make them aware.

The gay rights movement and history in the United States is so vast, with issues like job discrimination, bullying, marriage equality, DADT and more. How do you plan to cover it all?

I will not be able to cover everything within the length of a feature film. That is where my abilities as a filmmaker will come into play. I will document these areas of discrimination as best as I can and then edit in the most representative way possible.

Is there one overall theme you hope to convey?

There is an overall theme that I hope to convey: Love, don't hate. How can people who are interested, find out more about this project and get involved?

• They can visit the Kickstarter page to contribute
• They can also follow us on Facebook
• And Twitter