Let me say first and foremost that I think that anyone who supported California's anti gay rights Prop 8 is a total, utter moron and I have little nice to say about their moronic behavior.
But a residual casualty in this Prop 8 war has caused me to ruminate over some other big tragedies involved in this whole mess. I'm talking about the story of Scott Eckern.
For those of you unfamiliar with Scott Eckern, a little background. He was the Artistic Director of California Musical Theatre until he resigned a little over a week ago after outrage over the fact that he donated $1,000 to support Prop 8. The musical theater fans of the world didn't like what Mormon Scott did, and they called for his head in oh so many ways. (Marc Shaiman, the composer of HAIRSPRAY, told California Musical Theater that they could no longer produce his work because of what Eckern did.)
For more insights you really should read Theater Director Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire (the NY Times piece on the whole mess) and several posts at Clyde Fitch Report starting with Scott Eckern: Enemy of Freedom, Lover of Bigotry, Death and Hatred. Leonard Jacobs, the man behind Clyde Fitch Report, is particularly full of laser hot insight on all this.
But here I sit as a hetero white man, the most blessed of the unpersecuted in America, and I just feel kind of crappy about this whole thing. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but I kind of hate the sin in this case, and not the sinner. I cannot in good conscience defend Scott Eckern's actions, and maybe his resignation was the only way that this whole thing could ever play out, but a tragedy of a higher order is at play here.
It gives me pause to consider every donation I ever took as an arts administrator. I think of the fella who loved, loved, loved George Bush and gave oodles of cash to me for a couple of projects. I think of the guy who made me meet him in a strip club one day to talk about a major gift. I think about the countless ticket buyers who supported my work as an artistic director, who I can say with almost absolute certainty didn't share every belief and value system that I hold near and dear to my heart.
My point is that Scott Eckern took a bullet that will eventually open up a huge can of worms. In terms of cultural administration, I can't see that Scott Eckern was promoting his individual beliefs to his constituency at California Musical Theatre. He was just some righteous conservative guy who opened his check book and contributed to something that the majority of the musical theater fans in the world think is wrong. I think it's wrong, but I don't think Scott Eckern should have been forced out of his job because of it.
I do think that we liberal do-gooders in the arts should brace for the conservative forces that sometimes support us to give us a taste of our own medicine when we least expect it. I know that in this case, the people who I think are on the side of right (those being gay rights activists) did the flinging. But, and I have said this before as a cautionary tale against knee jerk activism, "If you are ready to do some flinging, you had better be ready to be flung."
I hope we're ready for the fling to come. Because it most surely will creep up and knock us on our collective ass with unyielding force.
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8 smart alecky remarks:
I strongly disagree with the argument that the boycotting of this man being a form of "reverse discrimination." Prop 8 is a civil rights issue. If we were looking at this in retrospect, and this was the '60s, this guy ran a black nightclub and then supported George Wallace, from a historical perspective I think everyone would be universally up in arms about his actions.
I respect your point about taking money from right-wing, and unethical DONORS when you were an arts administrator, but this guy WAS the arts administrator. It's a different scenario. I also think it would've been a different situation had he VOTED for Prop 8 or donated even a small sum. But $1,000...I'm sorry but you're just asking for trouble.
Plus, didn't his Mormon religion cause conflicts in even associating with gays in the first place?
Meghan,
The guy didn't have any problem associating with gay people. In fact, his sister is a lesbian. I understand why everyone is universally up in arms about what this dude did. In fact, I kind of hate myself for having even an ounce of defense for this Mormon shmo. But, is there a better way to have addressed this? It seems like a more reasoned, well thought response might have been a "slow down" boycott. If audiences felt a certain hatred towards this guy's actions, I would have loved to have seen how he dealt with incremental sanctioning. Maybe I'm just a sadist, but I think having this guy stew in his mess with an organized, non-screamy approach would have been more effective than a bullet in the head. The corrollary effect of all this is that the right wing conservative nut bags are angry. Real angry. And we've seen all too well what they are capable of when dealt with in a reactive manner, rather than a proactive one.
While I understand and am concerend over the conservative firestorm that this asshole's (sorry, couldn't think of a better word for him) forced resignation has opened on "the rest of us," I just don't think I would be able to tolerate his continued employment in that role.
Prop 8 is beyond even a civil rights issue; it's a humanitarian issue. To say "no" to another person's ability to enjoy the same rights as do you is not just to classify that individual as a second-class citizen, in a civil sense. It is a denial of that person's ability to express his or her love for another person in an accepted and recognized fashion. It is, in short, to deem them as something less than human -- unable to feel the same love that "normal people" do.
If I were gay, I'd stop paying taxes immediately and drive 90 mph absolutely everywhere. There are apparently separate sets of laws depending on who and how you choose to love.
And I'm done. (deep breath...)
I've always said that social change requires a mix of action. MLK couldn't have done anything if the white establishment wasn't terrified of the panthers and the riots.
The right wing has been playing hardball for decades, and they're winning because of it. If we respond with kid gloves, they'll continue to run the national conversation and define the adgenda.
You're white?
Me white? Oh, you're thinking of that other Artsy Schmartsy. I'm a small Latino girl.
I think all these comments are really well conceived, by the by. You know, I felt a little dirty writing what I did, but it has been on my mind for some reason. Keep them coming.
Leonard, i don't see what my race has to do with my knowledge of the history of civil rights movements.
Likewise, i'm straight, but i've raised money for HRC and done a lot of advocacy and support for the gay community. You want me to take that back?
If i'm only allowed to care about my narrow ethnic heritage i'd be fighting for the rights of blue eyed blonde haired protestants.
What's really heartbreaking is that story about the Klansman who was working at the Martin Luther King Center and he was really awesome at his job but he was like totally FIRED anyway. I mean was that fair? Or what about that neo-Nazi who was running the Holocaust Museum? I heard he was run out of town on a rail, which like really gives me pause and makes me just shed a tear for the Jewish people and oh, everybody! I mean, don't they realize what they've DONE? They have like crossed a line, and who knows where it all could lead. And now this homophobe who runs a musical theatre! Don't talk to me about all the queers who have lost their jobs or suffered discrimination over their sexuality - THIS IS A STRAIGHT MAN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE! A STRAIGHT WHITE MAN, FOR GOD'S SAKE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE????
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