Gay marriage is a hot-button issue, but as polarizing as the subject seems, "a lot of people occupy the middle ground," filmmaker Gretchen Hildebran says.

Her documentary "Out in the Heartland" finds no middle ground in Kentucky law, which bans gay marriage. But she found Kentuckians caught in the middle and trying to cope.

"Out in the Heartland" is one of three documentaries that will be shown at the Pride Film Festival, which runs Thursday through May 22 at the Nickelodeon. Hildebran will speak after Thursday's screening of her film.

"Out in the Heartland" was Hildebran's master's thesis project at Stanford University, where she was a graduate student in documentary filmmaking.

"I made some fictional films in college but my heart is in telling real-world stories," Hildebran said in a phone interview from Vancouver, British Columbia, where she was screening another film.

One couple who illuminate varying sides of the issue in "Out in the Heartland" are Wayne and Lou Nally, who love their gay son, his partner and their adopted grandson. But they also belong to one of the large churches in Kentucky that supported legislation banning gay marriage.

"Personally, the Nallys love their son and the family is close-knit," Hildebran said. "The fact that their son is gay is in conflict with their entire social and cultural history. There are no clear answers. I appreciated their courage in sharing the complications of their relationships, which can be painful and difficult."

Jennifer Claussen and Joan Callahan, another couple in "Out In The Heartland," are parents of David Claussen, Jennifer's biological son. The marriage ban represents yet another threat to their 20-year relationship. They are denied legal status that married couples have, including owning a home together and obtaining shared benefits like health care coverage.

Hildebran said the gay couples she spoke to also expressed fear of what might come next. "A lot of people do leave (Kentucky) and worry that what's on the horizon is similar legislation banning gay adoptions and foster parenting."

A feeling of "if you're gay, this state's government is not going to protect you" is pervasive, she said. "Without protection from the law of some kind saying family and home are respected by the state" gays fear they could lose everything and have "no way to challenge it."

Hildebran's position on the Kentucky ban is clear: "It sets a terrible precedent — singling out a group of people as not deserving the same rights as other people. It makes me question (supporters of the ban's) commitment to living in a democratic society."

Hildebran also felt that "the vast majority of young people do not find gay marriage upsetting or threatening." Their attitude, she said, is "it's a matter of personal choice and not really anyone else's business."

Hildebran finished grad school and moved to Los Angeles in January. There she is pursuing making her own films while working on television documentaries, including "Bringing Home Baby," which she described as a sweet look at universal parenting concerns. Heterosexual and same-sex couples along with single parents are represented.

What's really important to kids, Hildebran said, is not whether they have two moms or one dad but whether parents are there for them and will take care of them.

will screen along with at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Nickelodeon, 937 Main St. Filmmaker Gretchen Hildebran will speak after the screenings and a reception will follow. General admission is $6.50; $5.50 for students and seniors and $4.50 for Nickelodeon members.

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