Traces the emergence of gay men and lesbians as a force in American society, highlighting the universal aspects of their struggle for civil rights. The documentary is told through the eyes of Kelli Peterson, a Utah teenager who met resistance when she tried to form a Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school in 1996. In an interview and through conversations with parents and friends, Peterson describes her isolation, the decision to come out, and her fight for equality. The film also reviews 300 years of American history, from the secret diary of a Puritan cleric in the 17th century to the pioneering activism of Barbara Gittings from the 1950s to the 1970s.