Michigan College Bars Dustin Lance Black from Forum on Sexuality

Hope College in Holland, Michigan has barred Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black from speaking at a forum on sexuality, according to the school paper, The Anchor:

"Hope College’s Sexuality Roundtable’s request to host Hollywood screenwriter Dustin Lance Black as a speaker on campus has been denied by the college administration. According to the Sexuality Roundtable, Hope cited two reasons for its decision: 'Black’s advocacy would be too strong for campus,' and 'Black would ‘polarize’ the campus.'"

And while Black has been barred from the Sexuality Roundtable, he has been invited to speak at a screenwriting class. Said Dean of Students Richard Frost: "'They have a class that deals with screenwriting, and so there’s a natural tie in what he would talk about in terms of the process. That would be an appropriate thing to talk about. For example, if there’s a political science class about elections, or politics, or how you do grassroots movement, how you do political organizing, how you do political campaigns, (that) would be a great thing for him to talk about because (‘Milk’) has parts of those things in it.”

Read a PDF of the college paper here.

Added Frost to the Holland Sentinel: "We are willing to do these things, but for the college to do this, we have to be sure it’s educational. It’s back-and-forth and educational. It’s not advocacy.”

In related news, Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan has decided not to withdraw a controversial memo instructing professors not to "advocate for homosexual issues and same-sex marriage."

The Grand Rapids Press reports: "In a letter issued to the college's faculty Monday, board of trustees chairman Bastian Knoppers said they did not change a policy banning the advocacy of homosexual practices and same-sex marriage. But trustees said they understand many faculty members thought they did and deeply regret 'confusion and distress that has resulted,' he said...The Faculty Senate voted earlier this month to ask the board to withdraw the memo, saying it stifles academic freedoms that encourage open discussion of social issues between students and professors. Professors still are digesting Knoppers letter but are pleased the issue will continue to be discussed, Faculty Senate Vice Chair Karin Maag said this morning."

Documentary Exposes Mormon Financial Contributions to Prop 8

8: The Mormon Proposition is a new documentary about the involvement of the Church of Latter Day Saints' involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. It's written, and directed by Reed Cowan, produced by Cowan, Chris Volz, and Steven Greenstreet, executive produced by Bruce Bastian, and narrated by Dustin Lance Black.

The trailer dropped yesterday. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #552: National Equality March Speeches

I didn't get a chance to post these over the weekend. Eight speakers from the National Equality March: Cleve Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Judy Shepard, Lieutenant Dan Choi:

Lance Black, Lady Gaga, and Julian Bond, AFTER THE JUMP...

Richard Socarides and Dustin Lance Black on Obama and Gays

Attorney and former Clinton adviser Richard Socarides and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black joined Anderson Cooper to talk about his extension of benefits to same-sex couples of federal employees and whether it is enough. Both agree it's not.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Board Behind Olson-Boies Federal Challenge to Prop 8 Announced

The American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organization which hired Ted Olson and David Boies to lead a federal challenge to Proposition 8, announced its founding Board of Directors yesterday.

The board members are Chad Griffin, founding partner of political and communications strategy firm Griffin|Schake, Director Rob Reiner, photographer, producer, and children’s advocate Michele Reiner, Producer Bruce Cohen, Kristina Schake, founding partner of political and communications strategy firm Griffin|Schake, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

More on their backgrounds here (PDF).

TIME magazine writes about the Olson-Boies challenge to Prop 8 today: "By filing this case, Olson and Boies have moved the gay marriage debate to the front and — critically — center of American political discourse. For all the successes gay rights lawyers from the ACLU and other groups have had over the years, they never quite escaped the perception of many Americans that their cause was somehow a fringe concern of primary interest to advocates and opponents. As recently as last year, gay marriage was considered so extreme that no major candidate from either party in last year's presidential election had any qualms about opposing it."

George Stephanopoulos, George Will, Paul Krugman, Gwen Ifill and Ed Gillespie discussed the lawsuit on This Week on Sunday. Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Dustin Lance Black Testifies; 'Harvey Milk Day' Advances

Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black testified today before a Senate committee in support of Harvey Milk Day in California, state senator Mark Leno's proposed 'day of special significance' for the slain gay rights leader. The testimony must have gone well. The Senate committee approved the legislation and it now goes to the full Senate for a vote.

The Advocate features Black on its June/July '09 issue, which takes its theme from the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in NYC, profiling 40 people who were born after that date. Black's profile is here. Photos by Kenneth Cappello.