Ms. Salvino partnered with a distributor, Passion River Films, and the film has since been licensed for use in more than 200 universities and public libraries. Ms. Salvino said she was particularly encouraged that many schools and libraries in the Midwest were making the film available. “Those often are the places that really need the understanding,” she said.

Andrew Tobias, a well-known author of investment guides as well as the memoir “The Best Little Boy in the World,” said he participated in the film because he believed it had the potential to “help open some hearts and minds.”

“When my generation was growing up, there were boys and girls, and anything other than that was very nervous-making and a big problem,” Mr. Tobias said. “What a lot of us have learned as we’ve grown older is that love is love, and people come in all kinds of variations, and most people are wonderful even if they aren’t exactly average or what used to be called normal.”

Parker Jordan , a Columbia University graduate student and co-founder of the School of Social Work’s Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Caucus, said his group is planning to hold a screening of the film soon.

“Identity is something that can take your whole lifetime to figure out,” he said. “It’s important that we have that conversation in every possible space. The documentary is providing important visibility and in a way inviting people to step into someone’s shoes and have this conversation.”

For parents struggling to talk to their kids about sexual identity, “Between the Shades” might be a good place to start. Despite its name, a play on the popular book and movie “50 Shades of Grey,” the film is not about sex and includes only passing references to sexual encounters. It consists of a variety of people simply telling their own stories and talking about growing up, coming out and living life somewhere on the spectrum of human sexuality.

Mr. Tobias said he believes films like “Between the Shades” should be required viewing for young people so students who are afraid to go on their own would have a chance to watch without judgment. “It might give some encouragement to young people who are worried that they don’t fit in,” he said. “It shows them that they can fit in, and it shows them that you don’t have to literally fit in to be loved and valued and have a good life.”