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Loading ...Theater official quits over anti-gay donation
11.13.2008 3:05pm EST
(Sacramento, Calif.) The artistic director at California’s largest nonprofit musical theater company resigned Wednesday amid protests over his donation to a campaign to ban gay marriage in the state.
Scott Eckern stepped down from his job at the California Musical Theater in Sacramento after some gay activists called for a theater boycott.He said he is leaving “after prayerful consideration to protect the organization and to help the healing in the local theatergoing and creative community.”
Eckern said he “chose to act upon my belief that the traditional definition of marriage should be preserved” but had no idea his contribution would generate such controversy. He said his sister is a lesbian in a domestic partnership, which he understands to carry the same legal rights as marriage.
The boycott calls – led by artists including “Hairspray” composer Marc Shaiman – began after activists learned Eckern contributed $1,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. Last week, voters approved Proposition 8, which changes the constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Lisa West, regional spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Eckern is a member “in very good standing” and the Mormon church supports his decision to resign.
Fred Karger, the founder of Californians Against Hate, which was created to publicize donors to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, said he was not involved in the theater boycott effort and was saddened that Eckern resigned.
“That’s not good news, but there’s going to be a lot of fallout from this (gay marriage ban),” Karger said. “Of course, a lot of lives were ruined on the other side.”
He said his Web site has received thousands of visits from those tracking Yes on 8 contributors.
Ron Prentice, chairman of the Yes on 8 campaign, issued a statement criticizing gay marriage supporters who “cherish tolerance and civil rights (but) are unabashedly trampling on the rights of others.”
The theater company, Sacramento’s oldest arts organization, said it is not involved in political issues but doesn’t interfere with employees’ rights to express their views. The company issued a statement thanking Eckern for his 25 years of service.
Eckern was the company’s chief operating officer and its artistic director since 2002. The company produces Sacramento’s annual Music Circus and plays at Broadway Sacramento and the newly opened Cosmopolitan Cabaret.
What get’s me, it’s always some “closet case” that is fighting against us. Yet, no one appears to calls them on it! I see this time and again! It’s like can’t anyone see that this is some “closet case”! Some nut job that is trying to take the heat of themselves. I learned this years ago when some older queen pointed it out to me. Since then each time one of those nut job appears. I “read” them as some “closet case” where it has all ran him or she crazy. It’s always those queens hung up in some church! Save me from these sorry souls!
Scott Eckern certainly has the right to be a willfully ignorant biggot and to express his constitutionally guaranteed rights to express his biggotry. But the members and friends of the GLBT community also have the right to not only disagree with Scott’s biggotry, but to also boycott his employer.
For someone in Scott’s position to support a controversial piece of legislation is beyond stupid and his resignation under duress was appropriate. Furthermore, I can’t say that Scott sounds like a very good brother to his lesbian sister.
Hmmm…it may be trafficking in stereotypes, but maybe Eckern is really a FAG who doesn’t have the balls to stand up to a religion that doesn’t want him. Hope he enjoys his next career move…maybe he can be the CFO of a dinner theater in a strip mall. Be better still if he was caught having sex with a man behind said strip mall.
I have just heard the unfortunate news that Cinemark Movie Theaters CEO gave $9999 to the bigots. Could someone at 365gay.com confirm this?
“Ron Prentice, chairman of the Yes on 8 campaign, issued a statement criticizing gay marriage supporters who “cherish tolerance and civil rights (but) are unabashedly trampling on the rights of others.””
That has got to be the most hypocritical statement I have ever seen from someone in my entire life.
The chairman of the campaign to strip away a legal and civil right to marriage from a minority is now whining about CRITICISM being a “trampling on the rights of others”, while he lies through his teeth in the same statement, STILL trying to make it look like Prop 8 was a way to “cherish tolerance and civil rights”?
Why is it OK to legislate morality, but not to express yourself according to the First Amendment? Why is it OK to blatantly LIE to the voting public for months and not expect some sort of backlash from those who you discriminated against?
Grow up Mr. Prentice. Better yet, do the world a favor and Just Go Away.
Let’s not assume his sister would have said anything about his donation. Cheney’s daughter is an embarrassment STUMPING for the ticket. She could have sat quietly by, she could have been vocal against her father, she could have worked hard in our movement. Many options, but STUMPING for them. I saw her behind her father at appearances and just couldn’t believe it.
I changed my father…why can’t these people work harder to change the hearts of people they love?
I’m sure there is more to this story. A “straight” mormon working in theater (gasp) not self loathing but sister loathing? I doubt it.
Good riddance. Only in Sacramento, I guess.
And I say YES! let’s do trample on their rights. Let’s trample on their right to hate by taking away tax exempt status. Lets trample on their right to endanger children by making churches R rated so the poor little kids can’t be brainwashed, let’s trample on their right to harm the public by banning religious advertising like we do for some vice industries.
forget it, let’s trample on there right to exist. Why do we as human beings still allow religion? What is wrong with us?????
This Ron Prentice clown is a master dissembler! Imagine, after doing his best to be sure that certian civil rights are denied a to a large minority, he has the gall to accuse them of trampling on others. It’s a shame that there is no more serious a way to punish Mr. Eckern.. perhaps by denying him the ability to do something very dear to him; like, Oh, I don’t know, maybe worshiping at his chosen religion… I mean, that a choice, is it not… he is perfectly free to give that up…
Oh, wait, his right to worship at the alter of kind of cockamamie nut job religion…. OH, wait, THAT IS protected by the constitution… huh!, imagine that…
Oh, of course we all know that the pseudo-christians in this country don’t ever boycott, do they? Uh…Ford Motor Company, Disney, Procter & Gamble, etc..etc…etc. Does any of that ring a bell you vile hypocrites?
“But my sister is a lesbian!” Boy I love it when hateful bigots hide behind their gay friends of relations. I hope his sister slaps him upside the head — if only because he was so stupid he thought he’d get away with this.
“He said his sister is a lesbian in a domestic partnership, which he understands to carry the same legal rights as marriage.”
Ahh, ignorance. Not even bothering to call up his sister for information on the truth.
Hope from now on he can’t even get a job putting on puppet shows.
We aren’t violating any of his “rights”. He, on the other hand, was underwriting an effort to violate ours.
His right to swing his fist ends at the tip of my nose!
The hypocrisy and doublestandard of these Mormon sect nutjobs is astounding. We’re trampling on their rights? Excuse me but since when does a civil marriage trample of the rights of those who only believe in a religious marriage? How dare they! Mighty christian of them to trample on my civil rights too, the hypocritical bigots.
As a theatre professional, I can profess the sincere belief that theatre, in and of itself, is a religion for many of us. Mr. Eckern’s funding of this hateful, divisive proposition would be somewhat like a Mormon minister funding an initiative to ban the rights of Christians from marrying.
Well said, Lee.
Mr. Eckern,
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Ron Prentice, chairman of the Yes on 8 campaign, issued a statement criticizing gay marriage supporters who “cherish tolerance and civil rights (but) are unabashedly trampling on the rights of others.”
Which rights exactly are we trampling on by boycotting businesses that support hate? Mr. Prentice, you exercised your freedom of expression by pushing for Prop H8, now gays and lesbians are using their freedom of expression by not using your goods or services. You can’t use your rights and not expect us to do the same.