 |
‘Corpus Christi’ Playwright Terrance
McNally Receives Hearty Congratulations
Texas Republicans Deny Log Cabin Access
to “Big Tent”
By Don Romesburg
GLAAD Publications Manager
|
Following the Tony Awards ceremony June
7, GLAAD issued hearty congratulations to Cabaret, which won four awards
including Best Musical Revival and openly gay playwright Terrence McNally
for his moving stand against anti-gay censorship in his acceptance for
the Best Book Tony for Ragtime.
Recently, the Manhattan Theatre Club
dropped McNally's new work in development, Corpus Christi, after receiving
death threats over its gay content. But after pressure from progressive
and artistic communities the theater reinstated it and now stands in full
support of the project.
Addressing the audience at the awards
last night, McNally said, "You came together when I was in trouble. Our
voices were heard and we won."
He also told reporters backstage that,
"No one has the right to tell us what we can and cannot write." GLAAD Executive
Director Joan M. Garry said, "Both Cabaret and Terrence McNally deserve
much applause for their insistence on the freedom to create artistic visions
that are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender themes."
Texas Republicans Deny Log Cabin Access
to “Big Tent”
On June 3, the Texas GOP said they
would not allow the Log Cabin Republicans, the national lesbian and gay
Republican organization, to have a booth at the state convention June 12
and 13 in Fort Worth, and compared the group to pedophiles.
Texas GOP Communications Director Robert
Black said: "We're not going to allow a forum for the kind of hateful language
against people of faith that the Texas Freedom Network, or the KKK or the
National Man-Boy Love Association [sic] or whoever else wants to spew."
Log Cabin Executive Director Rich Tafel
said, "You can't call yourself a big-tent party and discriminate against
people at the same time. As a Christian minister, I am offended that our
organization is being accused of 'spewing hate' against people of faith.
There is no question that only one side in this is spreading hatred-that
is Robert Black and the Texas GOP. What is it going to take for good Republicans
to wake up and confront what is happening to their party?"
Log Cabin will hold a rally in Fort
Worth on June 13 to call attention to the issue. For more information contact
Kevin Ivers (Log Cabin Republicans) at (202) 347-5306 ext. 12.
Visit GLAAD Online at: http://www.glaad.org
To report defamation, call GLAAD’s
toll-free Alertline at: 800-GAY-MEDIA
|
