Debate rages
Ever since the passage of Proposition 8, liberal Hollywood has been debating whether and how to publicly punish those who supported the controversial amendment to the state constitution. Scott Eckern, the director of the nonprofit California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, recently resigned amid a flurry of condemnation from prominent theater artists. There have also been calls for boycotts of the Cinemark theater chain, whose chief executive, Alan Stock, donated $9,999 to "Yes on 8."
Activists have also called for pulling "Milk," the film about slain gay activist Harvey Milk, which opens in limited release today, from Cinemark screens. A representative for "Milk's" distributor, Focus Features, said that the studio had long ago committed to playing "Milk" in Cinemark houses in December, because of their successful exhibition of "Brokeback Mountain," the 2005 Oscar-winning film about two gay cowboys in love.
