Jim In Bold

A gifted young artist and poet, Jim Wheeler was the first openly gay student in his rural Pennsylvania high school. He had the love and support of a devoted family, but it wasn’t enough. The abuse he suffered from his classmates eventually drove him to suicide in 1997.

Certain to move hearts and minds, Jim In Bold is the story of Jimmy Wheeler told through wrenching and vivid interviews with his family, friends and teachers and through three of his powerful poems, including the film’s title, "Jim In Bold." Interwoven is a series of on-camera interviews with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ) youth from across the country. Five years after Jim’s death, the founders of Young Gay America embarked on a national road trip to capture these stories. The interviews reveal a resilient, thriving GLBTQ youth culture and offer a hopefully counterpoint to Jim’s tragic journey.

Jim In Bold was produced by Equality Forum the largest national and international GLBT civil rights forum with an annual Featured Nation. Since 1997, Equality Forum has included the Jim Wheeler International Youth Panel among its annual programs.