Maddie Tomson - Pariah

 The only thing more difficult than discovering who you truly are, is hiding yourself from the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally. Alike discovers this whilst trying to find comfort in her identity, with only the occasional support of her best friend to aid her. Trying to decide to stay with her friends and family in their small neighborhood, or to break away from everyone she knows to be who she really is, is one of the hardest decisions Lee will ever have to make.

Alike is having a sleepover with her crush Bina, who has been giving her romantic signals. After talking about music, their lives, and everything in between, the tension begins to build between them.

Alike is watching her parents feud over her identity, their screaming match had reached her and her sister in her upstairs bedroom, so she went down to try and defuse it. The fight began as an accusation of Alike's father infidelity, but when Alike appeared the topic shifted to her recent behavior and appearance.

Pariah is an emotionally heavy hitting film following the journey of a teen struggling to find her true identity. The film touches on the impact homophobia has on a child's self-worth, the pressure to follow your parents' beliefs, the uncertainty of self-discovery, and the struggles of life as an LGBTQ+ identifier. Not only are LGBTQ+ stereotypes portrayed, but anti-stereotypes are as well in the form of LGBTQ+ youth fighting back against bigots, instead of remaining silent. Pariah is a call to action for those of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, to help stop the bigotry and hate that Alike was forced to endure at the hands of her homophobic parents. The pain, trauma, and suffering for LGBTQ+ youth is not necessary, if people would finally realize what they have to go through to even feel comfortable with themselves, let alone be comfortable around others, maybe they wouldn't be such a misunderstood nation.


If Alike hadn't had poetry as an outlet, do you think she would have used partying and drinking to cope like her best friend?

How often are toxic relationships used as a stereotype for LGBTQ+ and why are they so much more perpetuated than straight couples?


Pariah. Directed by Dee Rees, performances by Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, and Aasha Davis, Focus Features, 2011.