Gay teen film "Tru Loved" in production, after permit refusal

Gay-themed high school film Tru Loved is in production, after a permit refusal from a California high school that left some school board members, parents of students, and members of the production team wondering if there was something more to the refusal than scheduling conflicts.

Regardless of the hitch, the film itself is back on track. Loved tells the tale of a girl (named Tru, natch) who moves from San Francisco with her two moms to a conservative town where her only friend is a closeted football player. She attempts to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school, which of course doesn't go over too terribly well in Nazi-ville.

There's no cast announced yet, but seeing as how writer/director Stewart Wade was able to snag Sally Kirkland, Jonathan Silverman, Deborah Gibson, and of course out actor Wilson Cruz for his last feature, Coffee Date, we can hope to see some starpower behind the flick.

And the as-yet bare-bones website promises a "gay wedding at the climax of the film," lots of hot football players, "sexy lesbian moms who bust all the stereotypes, and a terrific, all-star cast of richly drawn characters." Given the dearth of gay film making it to screens these days, I'd settle for any one of those elements.

As the site also notes, gay teen stories are a pretty hot topic. Our own Brent Hartinger's teen novel Geography Club was a huge hit, and James St. James' Freak Show and other books aimed at gay teens and the teens who love them are popping up all over. Just think: had I had this kind of book available when I was a teen, I wouldn't have been stuck rereading Blubber 387 times in 7th grade.

For a glimpse of Wade's previous work, check out the preview for Coffee Date below.