Well, my dear, lurking and participating are two different things. And how much longer really? RobD's join date is Cinco de Mayo. And, if you have been lurking so thoroughly as to feel entitled to lecture me, you'd know that I am well aware of the horrors of this administration.
More importantly, I was addressing theatre across the country--not just Broadway. Broadway (aside from the few non-profits) is financed by producers, if you recall. Broadway isn't the one we should worry about so much as theatre in the red states.
Spider-If this happens your nephew won't be able to see theatre.*cries*
WE MUST STOP THIS! NOW!
David walked into the valley
With a stone clutched in his hand
He was only a boy
But he knew someone must take a stand
There will always be a valley
Always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail
-Into the Fire
Scarlet Pimpernel
I dont think that America every became 100% accepting towards homosexuality, but it was definetly making progress. This is such a huge step back in the Gay Rights movement, and that is why everyone is so upset.
Also another point I thought about, since when does theater affect how someone acts. If someone watches a play about murder, does that make them a murderer? So why does watching a play about gay people make them gay? It reminds me of that monologue in "The Laramie Project" when the college kid is talking about how his parents would come see him in Angels in America because he was playing a gay character but they came to watch him kill people in Macbeth.
David walked into the valley
With a stone clutched in his hand
He was only a boy
But he knew someone must take a stand
There will always be a valley
Always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail
-Into the Fire
Scarlet Pimpernel
Art in general is a form of expression. I mean, every theatre family I've ever been a part of, whether educational, community, professional, is always a place where anyone and everyone is accepted. I remember in college people always commented how the theatre people would take 'the freaks' and welcome them becuase we're so open-minded. Likewise with a highschool theatre department I work with - the guidance counselor suggests to many kids in the school that they join theatre to build self-esteem becuase the kids in the theatre are so accepting and make people feel good about themselves. All of this is becuase art in general is a form of self-expression. What kind of art do you have - what kind of 'self-expression' when the government is telling you what you may express and what you may not because it's not right.
And seriously...not to like, feed into stereotypes...but c'mon - how dumb do you gotta be to try to push the homosexuals out of theatre and think it'll have a snowball in hell's chance at survival? This is like, the dumbest of the 'bushisms'...I shake my head.
Please keep me updated on any organized form of action to refute this.
Kristy
If I show you the darkness I hold inside, will you bring me to light?
jrb_actor, there was no lecturing there was a discussion. For someone who pathetically prides himself on posting so much, you should know the difference.
I agree we need to fight this! I will be sending letters to Gerald Allen. Obviously he has forgotten about a lil thing called the first amendment. Why oh why do people like this closeminded and prejudice person that they call our president?
This year there was an attempt to remove the sentences in the Alabama state constitution that do still say that blacks cannot vote. Obviously they have been over ruled many times and could not be enforced but it still does say these things. The attempt failed by a very close vote. It's amazing that anyone could actually vote against removing these statments but some fundie nut (may have been the same one) was making false claims about how it would affect taxes and education. I don't remember exactly what it was he was screeching about but it was enough to convince a majority to vote against removal.
To those who suggested killing Bush - grow up! 1) Do you really want Cheney as president?!?! 2) Nothing will pull the toxic right even closer together than violence against them. They already feel threatened by our very existence, violence will just give them more ammo. It's too bad that the gay communities and their allies can't pull together with the same determination and confidence when we are faced with violence, whether it be physical, spiritual or emotional. We allow them to use us as the focus of their wrath by sitting quitely, trying to ignore them, or worse internalizing their hatred and taking it out on ourselves. LGBT folks are just the beginning of the toxic right's crusade - single parents, unmarried couples, divorced people, women who have had abortions and not "repented" are all on the list for extermination. It's also very sad to see people who are threatened actually attempt to attack the source of information rather than those who are against us, and for us to throw around stereotypes about certain groups - some of whom are on our side.
The artistic communities have been quite good in the past at organizing for various causes, hopefully this will be another time for that to happen.
"They said the war by now would all be over They said one day our land would be reborn But looking now at all that we have sacrificed There's nothing left but a world forever torn"
Justin Murphy
This is disgusting. Just...ugh. Like Stephen Cobert of the daily show said "that all men are created equal...except for blacks and gays." This is just wrong. If Bush is personally against, I can understand I suppose, but why enforce HIS beliefs on our COUNTRY! I'm outraged.
Rosencrantz: "Be happy - if you're not even HAPPY what's so good about surviving? We'll be all right. I suppose we just go on."
- from Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead