Out at Work

Out at Work
Directed by
Produced by
  • Tami Gold
  • Kelly Anderson
CinematographyTami Gold
Edited byKelly Anderson
Music byDon Dinicola
Production
company
Distributed byHBO
Release date
  • 1997 (1997)
Running time
56 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$65,000

Out at Work is a 1997 American documentary film directed by Tami Gold and Kelly Anderson about LGBTQ employment discrimination and the importance of labor unions. The original version premiered at Sundance Film Festival and an updated version was aired on HBO in 1999 as part of its America Undercover series.

Premise

The original documentary follows three LGBTQ employees who experienced employment discrimination:

The HBO version replaced Keitt with the story of Mark Anderson, a gay stockbroker who was forced to leave Century City's Cantor Fitzgerald in 1998 due to sexual harassment.

Production and release

The documentary was conceived by Gold and Anderson after they attended the inaugural lesbian and gay labor caucus, held by District Council 37, in 1992 and was inspired by Gold's experiences of homphobia while working at a Maxwell House in the 1970s. It was filmed between 1992 and 1995. The production had a budget of $65,000 and was funded primarily through donations by organizations such as the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, AFSCME, Service Employees International Union, and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

The film was originally considered for PBS's POV series, but was ultimately rejected. It was then picked up by HBO, who were seeking labor documentaries in the wake of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. HBO executives told Gold and Anderson that it could only be aired on the conditioned that the narrative was streamlined to focus on people forced out of the workplace due to discrimination. Controversially, this led to the replacement of Keitt. Several activists at the time, such as Congressional Black Caucus aide Donna Cruz, criticized this decision and aruged that Keitt was actually removed because HBO did not want to feature the story of a poor, black, HIV-positive gay man.

A DVD with both versions of the film was released in 2009, with a new epilogue containing updates about the stories and anti-discrimination legislation.

Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2000 Out at Work CINE Golden Eagle Award Won
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary Won
National Educational Media Network's Gold Apple Award Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Harvey, Dennis (February 8, 1997). "Out at Work". Variety Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Epstein, Robin (June 1, 1997). "PBS: Labor's Love Lost". City Limits. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Miller, Daryl H. (January 6, 1999). "Documenting Contempt Faced by Some Gays 'Out at Work". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  4. ↑ Goodman, Walter (January 5, 1999). "TELEVISION REVIEW; The Face of Hate Made Plain". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Huisman, Mark J. (January 8, 1999). "Screen Workout". Dallas Voice. p. 41. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ Rosenfeld, Megan (January 6, 1999). "Outing Discrimination". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ McCreery, Patrick; Krupat, Kitty (2001). "Introduction". Out at Work: Building a Gay–Labor Alliance. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-3741-5.
  8. ↑ "Out At Work". New Day Films. April 27, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2026.