Gay Cowboys Hit U.S.
Screen,
but No Rings Just Yet
By REUTERS, from the
NYTimes on the Web, December 10, 2005
NEW YORK, Dec. 8 -- A gay
cowboy movie won rave reviews on Friday as mainstream Hollywood embraced the
tale of Marlboro men in love, but for most gay Americans the acceptance
symbolized by marriage remains a distant dream.
Based on an Annie Proulx's short story, "Brokeback Mountain" is about two
cowboys who meet and fall in love while wrangling sheep in Wyoming in 1963.
Their love lasts through two decades as they each get married to women and live
"normal" lives.
"Moving and majestic," said The New York Times; "An American masterpiece" said
the New York Observer; "Unmissable and unforgettable" said Rolling Stone.
But The Wall Street Journal asked, "Is America ready for Marlboro men who love
men?"
One answer delivered by a New York state court this week was "No" -- at least
when it comes to marriage.
A lower New York court had ruled in February the rights of five same-sex couples
were violated when they were denied marriage licenses.
But in a 4-1 ruling on Thursday, the state appellate court said it was not for
judges to redefine the terms "husband" and "wife," which the lower court judge
had said should be construed to apply equally between men and women.
Janice Crouse, senior fellow of Concerned Women for America, said the latest
court ruling was a victory for common sense despite a powerful and orchestrated
campaign to "normalize homosexual behavior," in which entertainment was a
powerful weapon.
FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO NEBRASKA
Gay marriage was a big issue in 2004 elections when voters in 11 states
overwhelmingly backed state constitutional amendments to define marriage as a
union between a man and a woman.
David Buckel, senior counsel for gay rights group Lambda Legal Defense and
Education Fund that is fighting gay marriage cases in at least six states,
describes that campaign as a complicated patchwork from state to state.
Legal status for gay couples varies widely -- Massachusetts is the only state to
allow gay marriages, while Nebraska passed a constitutional amendment in 2000
blocking any same-sex civil union, domestic partnership or marriage from being
recognized.
"As with all civil rights movements there's an enormous amount of flux. ... It's
familiar, it's dispiriting at times, it's very encouraging at times," Buckel
said.
The makers of "Brokeback Mountain" will be hoping the political backlash in some
states won't scuttle the $12.5 million movie, which is being rolled out
gradually, starting in the liberal cities of New York, Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
A recent Pew Research Center poll showed 53 percent of Americans supported gay
civil unions, up from 48 percent one year earlier.
But "Brokeback Mountain" still faces a struggle.
Rolling Stone reviewer Peter Travers called it a "a landmark film" but said
"with the rise of homophobia as church and state shout down gay marriage, the
film is up against it."
Although "Brokeback Mountain" is restricted to audiences 17 or older, Crouse
said it was part of a broad campaign to use entertainment to promote a
homosexual lifestyle to children.
"Their major agenda is to make this normal," she said. "They know cowboys
have this macho image, cowboys are particularly admired by children, cowboys are
heroes."
But she said the film would not have broad appeal. "Most parents don't
want their children indoctrinated," she said.
Damon Romine, a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation,
compared the film to "Philadelphia," the 1993 film about a gay AIDS sufferer
played by Tom Hanks.
"In today's climate, a sweeping romantic epic about two men in love is historic,
but when we look back in 20 or 30 years 'Brokeback Mountain' will simply be
considered a classic, timeless love story," he said.
|
