An Interview with Producer James Schamus »
01/25/2006
Five San Leandro, California teachers cite religious beliefs in their refusal to put a rainbow flag poster up in their classrooms that reads "This is a safe place to be who you are." The school's gay-straight alliance designed the poster. Well, at least the cards are on the table now and gay students know where it's not safe to go.
Sundance statements: Filmmaker Gus van Sant has spoken out about Brokeback, which he once had on his plate: "That's the one that got away. I dropped the ball. I didn't get the cast I wanted. I wanted big-name actors so I could make a political statement. [Ang Lee's film is] everything I wanted mine to be. I'm not sure it would have happened like that five years ago. It's all come true, and I'm really happy it worked out."
...and John Waters commented on Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman's nominations for playing gay characters: "We're going to have the queer Oscars this year. But I'm still waiting for a gay actor to be nominated for playing a gay man."
Anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson urges his supporters to buy Microsoft stock and then get rid of it in a massive stock dump on May 1st because of its support of the Washington state gay rights bill (which of course it was pressured by gay groups and bloggers into re-supporting a year ago).
Gay ski week in Whistler is cancelled, then resuscitated.
NBC drops The Book of Daniel. The move is immediately lauded by the American Family Association. Chairman Wildmon: "This shows the average American that he doesn't have to simply sit back and take the trash being offered on TV, but he can get involved and fight back with his pocketbook."
Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Boyd (R) wants to introduce legislation to define marriage as heterosexual. Boyd: "The intent of this is not meant to be discriminatory. This is about the people of Pennsylvania defining what a marriage is and to recognize it as a union between a man and a woman." 2007 is the earliest an amendment could appear on the PA ballot.
Gay activist and author Betty Berzon has died in Los Angeles at 78.
Posted 9:00 AM EST by Andy in Elsewhere | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
My partner used to work with Betty's partner. This is a terrible loss. My heart goes out to Terri.
Posted by: Mitch | Jan 24, 2006 10:16:51 PM
I'm so disapointed at NBC for buckling and taking The Book of Daniel off the air.When I read things like this my stomache just turns and I worry about oh...FREEDOM OF SPEECH! I can see the protests outside the Oscars now when Brokeback gets it's inevitable nod.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 25, 2006 9:23:34 AM
Ken Hutcherson...disgusting. You know it's really ridiculous when I hear the AFA and all these christian-fundamentalists ranting about the 'gay agenda'. They are the WORST hypocrites. Are they blind to their own actions? They are the ones constantly using their money and influence to manipulate corporations and politicians into not supporting gay rights. Everytime a company runs ads in the gay media, offers support to a gay group, or EVEN includes sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policies, these people jump on it and threaten boycotts and stock dumps or whatever. Do you see gay people/groups threatening to do the same things to companies that support associations like the AFA or ones that run advertising in the christian media? No! Groups like the AFA and focus on the family have the SOLE purpose of pushing their agenda, which is opposing gay rights, and propogating the idea the homosexuality is wrong and sinful. All gay people are doing is trying to be who they are in a world full of idiots. Who really has an agenda?
Posted by: Matt | Jan 25, 2006 9:56:30 AM
So it's not enough to define marriage as between "one man and one woman", now they want to make it HETERO!! Today the Breeder Special is: MARRIAGE! YAHOO!
Let 'em have it...my partner and I wear a ring, we had a beautiful ceremony in the Canary Islands surrounded by friends and family, we've got plenty of legal papers giving each other everything from power of attorney, to inheritance, and both our employers offer partner benefits...I really can't complain even though I live in Texas.
Between Santorum and Boyd I'd say Pennsylvania is a much more frightening place than Texas these days ;)
Posted by: wayne | Jan 25, 2006 10:07:58 AM
Oh Wayne I'd disagree with ya there. I grew up in Oklahoma, which is basically Texas without the charm... both states are tough to live in if you're gay. I guess it's easier if you're in the right job in a large city, but I'd guess that a 'mo in Lufkin or San Angelo would have a good reason to flee just like I did.
Posted by: Brian | Jan 25, 2006 10:17:32 AM
The things I do compliment the AFA on is their organization, resolution and commitment to a cause. If the gay community would only take on more these qualities instead of in-fighting, bicking (often demonstrated in these comments sections) and non-pro-active bitching and moaning perhaps we too could make more positive and effective changes.
When organizations have come together in focus goal-oriented team-work, such as with the recent Ford Motor Comp. campagain, we've made positive successful change for the better.
The AFA looks at the gay community as one large group with a threatening and progressive agenda. I only wish that were the case. We're a fracture group of people who are only catorgorized as a community by people outside the demographic. 20 year old gays wouldn't be caught dead with 50 year old gay. Lesbians despise gay men. Gay men despise gay men. Transgender don't want to be identified with the gays/lesbians. It's a worsening trend. Divided we fall.
Posted by: Blue | Jan 25, 2006 10:44:27 AM
Right on, Blue! Watch HRC and GLAAD cluck cluck cluck about the five San Leandro "It's OK to beat up gay kids in OUR classrooms" teachers, use the story to ask you for money, and then spend the money on something entirely different, like, in the case of HRC, simply maintaining their empire for its own sake. They only join in a "united front" when the issue is big enough to gather them national publicity—and more donations. Send your money to GLSEN, Lambda Legal, and PFLAG inste
RE Van Sant & BBM: thank God he never made the film. With rare exception, most of his stuff is crap; the best of it having nothing to do with gay as a subject.
RE Waters & anything: trailer trash with a videocamera. The man who immortalized a gargantuan, grotesque drag queen eating dog shit. Yum. And, yes, it's a tragedy, and another clear act of homophobic Hollywood that Nathan Lane and Alex Mapa weren't cast as Ennis & Jack.
Posted by: Leland | Jan 25, 2006 11:04:21 AM
Blue you hit the nail on the head.
I don't know how we'll fix that problem though. Gender-based animosity and angertwinks have always been, and will sadly always be. And I have always thought that transgender issues are a totally different set of issues than those of gays and lesbians.
One of the problems we face from an organizations standpoint is the heterogeneity of the GLBT community. Our diversity is a wonderful thing, but it makes it difficult to find a goal, and a plan toward achieving that goal, with which we will all agree.
Posted by: Brian | Jan 25, 2006 11:08:05 AM
PS: San Leandro is only 20 some miles outside of San Francisco. So you don't have to go to Texas or Oklahoma to see this spread of "Antiharassment Equals Antireligion" strategy. HRC—where ARE you?
Posted by: Leland | Jan 25, 2006 11:08:06 AM
I'm surprised that John Waters doesn't remember that a gay man has been nominated for best actor oscar for playing a gay man, Sir Ian Mc Kellen for God's and Monsters..great job, though he should have won for his supporting role in Lord of the Rings.
As for NBC canceling Book of Daniel, no one should give that asshole Wildom any credit. The reason they canceled the show was it sucked, the ratings were horrible because the show was also. Despite the great cast, they missed the ball.
The religous right takes credit for far too much. They do not watch tv at all, my brother is a born again minister. Unless it is pro christaian, it's off the radar. His three girls could not even play with barbie dolls. These people are freaks, even if they have the presidents ear.
Take there not attacking Brokeback mountain. They said they did not want to give it free press, that America would stay away. Now we see that is not the case, just the opposite. So instead they are now playing the old 'Hollywood Elite" thing. That they are trying to recruit gays. Too funny.
I was very happy to see Brokeback do almost double the business that the right wing religous flick End of the Spear this week, despite being in the same number of theaters. The press is now saying that after an Oscar win for Best Picture, Brokeback could do over $100 million in the states.
The tide is turning people.
Posted by: patrick | Jan 25, 2006 11:08:36 AM
trailer trash with a videocamera. The man who immortalized a gargantuan, grotesque drag queen eating dog shit
Woohoo! Somebody save me a seat next to Leland, cuz I bet THAT guy is fun at a party! Ahem.
Posted by: Joe.My.God. | Jan 25, 2006 11:18:20 AM
I agree with the statement made by Blue. Gays need a central voice and front man that will get us all to stand together on a common front. My vote is for Andy. Anyone else want to second that?
Posted by: iceman | Jan 25, 2006 11:36:08 AM
I agree with Leland concerning the HRC. I gave them money last year and they sold my name, phone, and address to a variety of causes. Now I get more telemarketing calls than I ever did before the Do Not Call registry went into effect!
Posted by: Liam | Jan 25, 2006 11:44:04 AM
Did you watch the Book of Daniel? If you had you would have seen why it was cut from the line up. The wingnuts had nothing to do with it. I lasted 15 minutes, dispite the two cute sons. It was god awful.
How many of Hutchinson flock do you think can afford to buy enough stock to cripple Microsoft? Please.
Posted by: Donald | Jan 25, 2006 11:47:24 AM
Note to Ken Hutcherson: That's call Stock Manipulation and it's a crime! Can you say felony? I hope he does it and goes to jail. Funny how morality goes out the window when it comes time to persecute homosexuals.
Posted by: LetoNYC | Jan 25, 2006 12:06:10 PM
By the way did anyone see Bush's comments on Brokeback Mountain? Here's the video:
http://bradblog.com/video/flvplayer/FlvPlayer.html?file=http://www.ameratsu.com/media/vid/cnn/cnn_pl_bush_brokeback_spying_speech_060123a_464x260.flv&width=464&height=260
Posted by: lulu | Jan 25, 2006 12:13:40 PM
Crap?
Trailer trash?
Wow--fascinating discussion.
Posted by: Gilli | Jan 25, 2006 12:33:34 PM
I'm just shocked someone mentioned San Angelo! As a teen, I sold porn to gay ranchers in San Angelo.
Posted by: Mitch | Jan 25, 2006 12:44:45 PM
This is kind of off topic, but: the thing about the American Family Association (AFA) that riles me is their reporter on the "Homosexual Agenda."
Stephen Bennett on the surface appears to be the perfect person for the fundamentalist Christian AFA to report on homosexuality. After all, Mr. Bennett used to be an openly gay man. In fact, he claims to have been cured of his homosexuality through the power of the Lord. Whether you believe that is possible or not is one thing. I personally do not believe it. Bennett, on the other hand, has made it his life’s work. According to his website, “First and foremost, [Stephen Bennett Ministries] encourages men and women to successfully and permanently overcome their unwanted same-sex attraction.” For someone who has left the "lifestyle" behind, Bennett certainly remains obsessed with it.
At-any-rate, it’s not all the self-loathing that gets me though. What I can’t stand about Mr. Bennett is his diatribe. He typically skews any sign of a company or individual supporting equal rights into a giant attack on his beliefs. In my opinion, Mr. Bennett usually is completely off base too. For example, Bennett actually believes that Bill O’Reilly is too pro-gay and that “homosexuality remains the number one issue in America today.” That may be a matter of perspective, but I strongly disagree. Another example of Bennett’s spin on truth is his recent comment, “Soulforce and several other gay-rights groups may be making covert plans to crash the annual White House Easter egg roll.” There is nothing covert about Soulforce’s intended attendance of the White House Easter Egg Roll. The Egg Roll is an annual event open to the public on a first come first serve basis, so how do you “crash” a public event?
The list of discrepancies in Mr. Bennett’s writings goes on and on.
No wonder conservative Fundamentalist Christians are so distasteful of the GLBT community (generalizing here, of course). They’re “informant” is skewing the truth.
Here are some links to Stephen Bennett’s pages:
http://www.sbministries.org/
http://www.afa.net/homosexual_agenda/default.asp
Posted by: RP | Jan 25, 2006 12:48:17 PM
>>I'm still waiting for a gay actor to be nominated for playing a gay man."
Yeah, and I'm still waiting for Mass Murderers to be nominated for playing Mass Murderers. How about only having lawyers play the part of lawyers? Maybe only crazy people should play crazy people.
It's called ACTING for a reason, John.
Posted by: Jay Croce | Jan 25, 2006 1:35:25 PM
>>NBC drops The Book of Daniel.
I watched it. It was a dull, poorly written show. Not the first show to feature great talent, sandbagged by poor material. It was a flop, and it deserved to be cancelled, not on the politics or the morals, just because it was a stinker.
Too bad "Six Feet Under" never made it to network TV. I think it would have been more popular if it hadn't been on HBO. Sometimes the good shows never get a chance.
Posted by: Jay Croce | Jan 25, 2006 1:40:39 PM
I thought "The Book of Daniel" was extremely well written, and I enjoyed the show. However, I agree that it's cancellation came from low ratings.(Friday night is tough slot.)---I hope HBO/Showtime will consider giving it a chance.
Posted by: jason | Jan 25, 2006 7:45:36 PM
Gus Van San movies, HRC, AFA, Hutcherson, and 'The Book of Daniel' all suck. If only we could get rid of the rest as easily as they got rid of 'The Book of Daniel'.
Posted by: Matthew Schooler | Jan 25, 2006 8:07:20 PM
The Rainbow Flag is a religious symbol now? Oh great. Well at least I’ve got the whole kneeling thing down pat.
Actual unprinted Gus Van Sant interview:
"That's the one that got away. I dropped the ball…when I altered the story line to make Jake a meth addicted lounge singer and Ennis a wheelchair-bound narcoleptic. I didn't get the cast I wanted…because Paul Lynnde is dead and Rip Taylor said he had too much self-respect. I wanted big-name actors so I could make a political statement….which is exactly why I didn’t deserve to make it. [Ang Lee's film is] everything I wanted mine to be…but I didn’t have the talent and self-discipline to make well. I'm not sure it would have happened like that five years ago….thanks to directors like me who wanted every gay themed project to be a part of an agenda. It's all come true, and I'm really happy it worked out….without me."
Too bad about the Book of Daniel. I was looking forward to watching it develop into a better series. Now we get to hear the anti-gay groups claim this was due to their efforts while the Gay Right-Nut Wingbats claim it wasn’t.
Posted by: Chad Hanging | Jan 25, 2006 8:15:40 PM
Ugh...Pennsylvania scares me nowadays. For those not from the northeast or the tri-state area...here's the truth: once you get outside the major urban areas of PA like Philly and Pittsburgh...it is FULL ON white trash/trailor trash HEAVEN, through and through. It's like you can almost hear the banjos and smell the alcohol and every girl is her daddy's sister. It is sooo frightening. Without the cities, Pennsylvania may as well be Jambumblefuck, Mississippi. "Hicks' are not just a product of the south. Yankees have 'em also.
Posted by: Matt | Jan 25, 2006 10:41:56 PM
I had no idea that there were any rednecks in California until I moved here. Shock.
Posted by: Chad Hanging | Jan 25, 2006 10:50:32 PM
Jambumblef__k?
Oh my gawd Matt.
You crack me up.
:~)
Posted by: Gilli | Jan 26, 2006 12:26:39 AM
Was I asleep when John Waters was elected Spokesman for Gay Culture?
And wherein, pray, is the breakthrough in a gay actor playing a gay character? I tend to think such a scenario pigeonholes us by sexuality even more. Better to have Cruise keep playing lusty heteros. Now, THAT'S acting.
Posted by: Jacko | Jan 26, 2006 3:59:26 AM
Waters has a point IMO. Sure its nice to be empowering to say "gays can play straight people and prove they are equal, blah blah blah"... but why cant any of the young gay actors and actresses who CAN act become as well known as the Orlando Blooms or Lindsey Lohans (not saying she is good, just popular)? Im sorry, it cant be because there arent enough hopeful gay actors in Hollywood! It seems like you cant be a homosexual under 40 and have a character who actually HAS sexual interaction in the film and win an award for acting. Dammnit! I want a gay actor that is young, hot and can play both gay and straight and be recognized for their talent without being in a closet or some watered down, asexual, comic relief side-kick for a straight chick!
Posted by: Toto | Jan 27, 2006 3:39:59 AM