In 1983, Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium of Vancouver, a pioneering gay and lesbian bookshop, opened its doors to the public--not long before AIDS garnered international media attention and gay pride became a household phrase. Less progressive members of society chose this bookstore as a target for their hatred and over the years the owners of Little Sister's have had to deal with bigotry, anonymous bombings, and even harassment from Canadian customs officials who regularly seized book shipments at the border (at the same time allowing "heterosexual pornography" through). Without planning to, the bookstore became a rallying point not only for gay rights but for free speech itself, a story that is effectively chronicled in Aerlyn Weissman's documentary Little Sister's vs. Big Brother, which combines personal recollections by the shop owners and staff, along with archival footage and in-depth coverage of major legal decisions, to offer a fascinating look at how a “small business” can challenge “big government.” Although recommended on the video jacket for grades 9 to adult, the sexually explicit images in the film make this questionable for high school use, which is unfortunate as the topics of equality, diversity, free speech, and homophobia are all worthy of classroom discussion. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Asala)
Little Sister's vs. Big Brother
(2002) 47 min. VHS: $195. Homeboys Productions (dist. by National Film Board of Canada). PPR. Color cover. Volume 19, Issue 2
Little Sister's vs. Big Brother
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