In 1992 Cheryl Summerville, a cook at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia, received a termination paper stating she was fired for ”failing to demonstrate normal heterosexual values". She was shocked to discover that in more than 40 states it was legal to fire workers for their sexual orientation. Out At Work: Lesbians and Gay Men On the Job chronicles the stories of three workers who seek workplace safety, job security and benefits for gay and lesbian workers.

Out At Work was the first documentary about gay and lesbian workplace rights. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was broadcast on HBO and won a Best Documentary of the Year award from GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). 

Since 1996, the film has been updated (2009) because some of the information has changed since the film was made. For example, by 2009, 31 states had enacted policies that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"A close-up of how deeply feelings against homosexuals can still reach and how vicious they can be."

- Walter Goodman, New York Times

"OUT AT WORK vividly illustrates what happens when LGBT people are not legally protected from employment discrimination. It exposes once and for all the lie that gay people's rights are "special rights" with stories that are both ordinary and inspiring."

- Sarah Chinn, Professor of English, Hunter College (CUNY)

"OUT AT WORK presents compelling and inspiring stories of common individuals who perform uncommon acts of resistance in the face of discrimination. This film is a great educational and motivational tool for unions everywhere."

- Bill Fletcher, Director of Education, AFL-CIO

https://www.newday.com/film/out-work