Will Prop 8 Supporters Kill Sundance Film Festival?

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by Michael Parrish DuDell December 8, 2008
Categories: Causes, Events.

Last year Sundance went green, this year Sundance might go empty! Gay rights campaigners are asking Hollywood stars and film fans to boycott next year’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The request came after it was revealed that Alan Stock – a Mormon who owns a number of Sundance venues – made a personal $9,900 donation to support Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California.

Even though the Sundance Institute has agreed to let the viewers decide by showing all movies screened at Cinemark Theaters in a seperate location as well, Americablog.com editor John Aravosis is still not pleased.

Aravosis told the New York Daily News, “If you go to Utah, you’re funding hate. Just moving movies around is not enough. Money from this festival is funneled directly to the Mormon Church and to a supporter of Proposition 8. Sunshine should simply say they won’t screen films in a hate theater.”

In response, a Sundance rep said, “(The festival) has a long history and in fact was founded on the idea of championing diversity. It is our hope that people will embrace the festival for its commitment to diversity, not avoid it.”

What do you think about all of this drama? Should Sundance separate themselves from Cinemark Theaters, or is it good enough to show the films in two locations and leave the choice to the viewers? Chime in and share your thoughts!

[Editor note: The title of the piece is not a typo. Alan Stock of Cinemark donated money in support of Proposition 8, and it is because of this that people are boycotting Sundance, thus directly "killing" the festival.]


Categories: Causes, Events.
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  • Weston

    Oops… in my last post I addressed it to Danny and it should have been to Mark.

  • Danny

    Mark said, “Danny making threats to an invisible poster on a blog, is so silly…cupcake.
    Really think I give a rat’s a$$ what you think about what I post?

    cuz if you do….you’re M_I_S_T_A_K_E_N”
    ==============

    Uhhh… 1st, I’m no cupcake.

    2nd, I’m not really sure what threats you are referring to.

    3rd, I noticed that you were unable to respond on the content of my message.

    And yes, I don’t care that you don’t care what I think. But if you really knew what I think about you and what you do it would make you very, very mad.

  • John

    Cancel Sundance! Heavens above! If I knew that supporting Prop 8 would get rid of Sundace, I would have suggested it long ago. I have only one request: Make Robert Redford promise never to come back to Utah.

    Go back to Hollywood! And stay there! Take you crapy movies with you!

  • Peter Smith

    I’ve decided that the militant actions (and that includes boycotting) by gay people just proves one point. Gay people are stupid. They make up less than 1% of the population. If they think they can have that much of an impact by boycotting, then they are stupid. I’ve really tried to walk the higher road, but I am done. Vigilante behavior, violence and mobacrcy is wrong. If they get away with this then our constitution is in real trouble. There is NO legitamcy for terrorist like behavior. I’m not saying boycotting is terrorist, I am referring to all their other idiotic behavior. It is unacceptable and it is time law enforcement steps up to it. For me, I am boycotting gay businesses. And I will be sure to tell all my friends to.

  • judy brown

    “22-40 million of the prop 8 support funds came from Mormons”

    The reason for the range is that although over $20 million in donations to Prop 8 have been reported to the election authorities, the pro-Prop 8 supporters are now being investigated for NOT reporting what would be donations in other forms: phonebanking, busing Prop 8 supporters to California, and other “hidden” forms of donation.

    The figure of those donations in kind has not been established yet in the political record.

    And the LDS church may yet be prosecuted for not revealing those yet undetermined funds, estimated in the tens of millions.

    Just as the ads bought by the LDS to support Prop 8 promoted blatant falsehoods (bearing false witness), the Mormon Church has attempted to falsify their financial records.

    It’s the Mormons who have the record of falsehood in this disgusting attempt to force their version of “religous” discrimination on the California public.

    And by the by, I think Sundance should be boycotted, by all means. Why should I funnel any of my money to bigots?

    Boycotting is an American political tradition that goes back even before the Boston Tea Party — one the religious right also has employed (although not to much effect, Disney’s Gay Days are joyous occasions and haven’t hurt business any.)

    Oh, and bigot Danny — you’re the one who dragged your eight-year-old son into this discussion, and should be ashamed of yourself for doing so.

    The poor boy is growing up with enough of a burden, surrounded by hate-mongering bigots.

  • Danny

    Judy,

    Again, your fixation with an 8 year old boy belies your deviancy.

    He is neither poor or surrounded by bigots. He is surrounded by loving parents that provide him with the best opportunities we can. We also protect him from inappropriate deviant behavior. That is why we do not take him anywhere near places where gays may congregate. As responsible parents we are obligated to do so not out of bigotry but in response to the obnoxious behavior the Gay Community in general likes to parade down the middle of main streets across our country. If you have a problem with that you need not confront me or people who think like me. You only need to go as far as your own community and complain to them for painting all of you with scarlet jock straps.

  • Kyle

    Judy…Great answer.

    Danny…Ignorance is Bliss right?

    You can’t stop progress.

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com erin

    Boys Boys Boys,

    Lez all take a deep breath shall we?

    First off; Danny – you say that most sex offenders live in “gay” areas of town? Well I guess most pedophiles must live in the affluent upscale areas in the expensive part of the cities then? Because that is where many gay people (especially men) live. These areas (Like Boystown in Chicago) have all been gentrified and cost a fortune to live. Look,

    I’m going to provide a link for you to read as well.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_village

    And as for your son… you brought your him into it (why is beyond me) And who takes “small children” to Sundance Film festival? Not usually where I’d think of taking the little tykes… no no, that’s not dykes I wrote. That’s tykes.

    How in God’s name (pun intended) are you going to take small children to all those movies (i cannot stand people who do that and if I have kids I won’t offend others by doing so unless it’s a little kid’s movie) Also I am prone to doubt you’re going anywhere NEAR Sundance (started by left wing liberal gay supporter Robert Redford) I think you just made up that little story to argue on here and waste everyone’s time.

    My opinion… And good luck with your son. Sadly most gay friends I have had homophobic dads like you who kept them away from gay people … Good luck with that!

    E

  • friendandsupporter

    Calling all people – more than half of the state of California – bigots and haters won’t change their minds. Moving the Sundance Film Festival to meet the gay agenda won’t change people’s minds. Most Utahns and those who voted in California actually don’t care if someone is gay or not, that’s their own business. What makes people upset is that in spite of continued declarations of the people that they don’t want the state and religion contracted definition of marriage changed, and certainly not by a liberal state supreme court decision. It is a blatant lie to characterize votes in California and Arizona and other states as “bigoted hatred.” That simply is not true for most people. The knee-jerk response from the gay community and their depiction of a very large group of people in these states as “haters” are never going to win the day. My support of the gay community wanes every day that I see their tantrums.

    How many states are you going to boycott and then where are you going to live?

  • friendandsupporter

    Marriage is NOT a right. It is a social contract validated by church and/or state, depending on what country you live in. No one has the “right” to get married. They must meet the legal and/or religious requirements to do so. Those individuals who are unable to meet those requirements and enter into such a contract are not allowed. For example, some individuals with Downs Syndrome or other mental incapacity cannot enter into such contracts. The state enforces these contracts. Not a right. Just because the California State Supreme Court says it is, doesn’t make it so.

  • Britt

    The state of Utah is completely separate from the LDS church and from Sundance. Punishing an entire state for the actions of a church wont accomplish anything except putting that much more hate into the world.

    When I relocated to Utah, I was afraid I would be mistreated because of my sexuality. I was wrong. The people of Utah are not at all how they are portrayed. They are a good, open-minded, diverse people. I actually hope to raise a family here someday.

    Open your eyes. Throwing mud at innocent parties wont do anything to fix the problem.

  • Danny

    Kyle says on December 10th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
    Judy…Great answer.
    Danny…Ignorance is Bliss right?
    You can’t stop progress.
    ===============
    Kyle,

    Ignorance is Bliss right? I don’t know, since I am not ignorant you need to answer that question.

    And yes we can stop progress. When that progress is not the right thine to do. Like the Progress that the NAZIs brought Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. That was considered progress. Or when the Bolshevik’s brought progress to Russia and every bordering smaller state.

    Unfortunately all of that progress cost a mostly innocent 80 million lives to stop. So in answer to your question. Yes, we can and sometimes should stop progress when it is just plain old not right.

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com erin

    Wow now Danny is comparing all gay people to murdering evil Nazis. Good one Danny! I really see no difference at all. Gay people just wanting progress so they can live their lives, get married if they want – not wanting to push their beliefs on others ….and the Third Reich who slaughtered, beat and (sometimes raped) thousands upon thousands of innocent Jews.

    Sounds exactly the same to me!

    God I’m embarrassed for your ignorance Danny.

    Erin

  • Danny

    erin says on December 11th, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Wow now Danny is comparing all gay people to murdering evil Nazis. Good one Danny! I really see no difference at all.
    =============
    Erin,

    No need to be embarrassed since there is no ignorance here. I wasn’t comparing the Gay community to NAZIs just stating a fact that not all progress is good and gave examples.

    HOWEVER, since you brought it up….

    Didn’t Hitler start his rise to be the Chancellor of Germany by blaming a religious Minority for all their troubles?

    em… Sounds kind of like a certain community that is now blaming Mormons for all their troubles.

  • mark

    The less than 1% figure of LGBTs is RIDICULOUS.
    We are 5% of the general US population and 9& of the population of CITIES where we migrate to, usually from hell holes like UTAH, OKLAHOMA, ALABAMA, IDAHO…etc.

  • Jerry

    Danny-
    Take a hike, and don’t let the door hit you on your way out! If I were your child I would be ashamed of you!

    Ciao
    Don’t give anymore energy to this creep Danny…IGNORE HIM!!!

  • mark

    Entertainment Weekly isn’t having their regular Party. Some other corporate sponsors have scaled way back or cancelled.

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