Broadway Less Tolerant of Gay Diversity Than GOP
Posted By Larry O'Connor On January 9, 2011 @ 7:00 am
BigHollywood EXCERPT:
Its impossible to work in the theatre industry and not have colleagues, business partners and life-long friends who are gay. I have always viewed this fact as one of the most wonderful and enriching dynamics of the theatre community. Its so invigorating being part of a show (which very soon takes on the characteristics of a family) and have people from every walk of life represented, often by Type A personalities who bring joy and variety to the daily routine of presenting a show.
After collaborating with gay associates for almost thirty years, Ive reached the conclusion that most gay men hold a fundamentally center/right view on most economic and national security issues. The over-riding feeling expressed to me from my gay friends is the deeply held desire to be left alone. And after watching GOProud Chairman Christopher Barron take this obnoxious attack from non-entity Cenk Uyger for having the temerity to identify himself as a conservative, Ive reached the greater conclusion that the conservative movement needs articulate and courageous voices like this as part of our team.
As Mr. Barron puts it: I have an easier time being openly gay with conservatives than I do being a conservative with other gay people. So, if CPAC and the Republican Party can be accepting of gay conservatives who dont hold exactly to every single position espoused by the party, why cant Broadway do the same?
The chill wind of intolerance was most evident when the Broadway community outed Sacremento Music Theatre executive Scott Eckern as a financial supporter of Californias Proposition 8 campaign which defined marriage in the state as being between one man and one woman (you know, the definition weve lived with for thousands of years). Unlike Mr. Barron who does not equate opposition to same-sex marriage with bigotry, the tolerant voices of Broadway sang out at fortissimo against the shocking and intolerable position that Eckern shared with the majority of Americans, including President Obama .
Eckern, classy and dignified, stepped down from his position so as to save his board the difficult task of dealing with the controversy, and the authoritarian leftists who populate Broadway choruses, wardrobe departments and front offices had a very, high-profile scalp for their efforts. And, the clear message was sent to anyone else in the industry who might dare to think that marriage should stay defined as being between a man and a woman: Keep your bigoted mouth shut.
END EXCERPT
The left only likes minorities of any stripe when they toe the line. Look at how Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice were treated...
Posted By Larry O'Connor On January 9, 2011 @ 7:00 am
BigHollywood EXCERPT:
Its impossible to work in the theatre industry and not have colleagues, business partners and life-long friends who are gay. I have always viewed this fact as one of the most wonderful and enriching dynamics of the theatre community. Its so invigorating being part of a show (which very soon takes on the characteristics of a family) and have people from every walk of life represented, often by Type A personalities who bring joy and variety to the daily routine of presenting a show.
After collaborating with gay associates for almost thirty years, Ive reached the conclusion that most gay men hold a fundamentally center/right view on most economic and national security issues. The over-riding feeling expressed to me from my gay friends is the deeply held desire to be left alone. And after watching GOProud Chairman Christopher Barron take this obnoxious attack from non-entity Cenk Uyger for having the temerity to identify himself as a conservative, Ive reached the greater conclusion that the conservative movement needs articulate and courageous voices like this as part of our team.
As Mr. Barron puts it: I have an easier time being openly gay with conservatives than I do being a conservative with other gay people. So, if CPAC and the Republican Party can be accepting of gay conservatives who dont hold exactly to every single position espoused by the party, why cant Broadway do the same?
The chill wind of intolerance was most evident when the Broadway community outed Sacremento Music Theatre executive Scott Eckern as a financial supporter of Californias Proposition 8 campaign which defined marriage in the state as being between one man and one woman (you know, the definition weve lived with for thousands of years). Unlike Mr. Barron who does not equate opposition to same-sex marriage with bigotry, the tolerant voices of Broadway sang out at fortissimo against the shocking and intolerable position that Eckern shared with the majority of Americans, including President Obama .
Eckern, classy and dignified, stepped down from his position so as to save his board the difficult task of dealing with the controversy, and the authoritarian leftists who populate Broadway choruses, wardrobe departments and front offices had a very, high-profile scalp for their efforts. And, the clear message was sent to anyone else in the industry who might dare to think that marriage should stay defined as being between a man and a woman: Keep your bigoted mouth shut.
END EXCERPT
The left only likes minorities of any stripe when they toe the line. Look at how Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice were treated...
