WhoSigned.org says it’s partnering with the gay rights group KnowThyNeighbor.org to put the names online.

In a statement Monday, WhoSigned.org says it expects people who see the names online to contact the signers for what may be uncomfortable talks about gay rights.

Sponsors of Referendum 71 have until July 25 to collect about 121,000 signatures to make the fall ballot. The referendum seeks to overturn the latest expansion of the domestic partner law, which would give partners the same state rights as married couples.

Then, a few weeks after Dick starting shooting the film in 2007, Idaho senator Larry Craig got caught tap dancing in a bathroom stall.  Dick had to hustle to keep up with it all.

“The story was put into fast-forward,” says Dick, whose previous films include This Film is Not Yet Rated and the Oscar-nominated Twist of Faith.  “With these scandals, the discussion of the closet sort of was swirling around us as we were making this film.”

The resulting documentary, Outrage, opened in five major cities last weekend and will go wide over the next few months.  So far, Dick’s been very heartened by the public reaction.  “No one has stood up and said, ‘I’m upset that you’re outing people’ which has surprised me,” remarks Dick.  “It seems like people really understand the argument of the film, the importance of reporting on this hypocrisy.”

365gay.com: What inspired you to make Outrage?

KIRBY DICK:  I was in Washington, DC promoting my last film, This Film Is Not Rated and I thought, ‘There must be a lot of great stories here.’  I started asking around and very quickly came upon this subject.  It’s fascinating, the psychology of these people who, in exchange for having a long political career, would live a double life.

A few days after I saw the film, I saw you interviewed on CNN.  The anchor Don Lemon seemed a bit offended that you were naming names, like it was rude or bad form.  I thought, ‘Did he see the same movie I saw?’

That’s what people have said when they watched it.  I actually want to give him more credit.  What I’ve found is it’s not the reporters themselves that don’t want to cover this story.  It’s the people up the ladder that have prevented mainstream reporters from covering this. I’m speculating but I think that’s what you were seeing reflected was the pressure he was receiving or he felt he would receive from higher up, rather than his own personal approach.

In your last documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, you exposed the double standard in the way the MPAA rating system deals with gay sex scenes versus straight.  Now, you’ve made Outrage.  Have you always had an awareness and interest in gay issues?

My best friend in high school was gay and we had all these discussions and then he had a group of friends who were also gay.  It really kind of normalized the whole thing for me when I was young and I’m very grateful for that.

In making Outrage, were you ever threatened or afraid for your safety?

We took precautions and we operated very much under the radar.  I have not received any threats.  However, in the process of looking into various politicians around the country, I spoke to a number of sources who seemed quite afraid to talk and in many cases, did not talk at all.  I don’t know if that fear was justifiable but I know the fear was real.

A number of people in your film comment on how gay Washington DC is, in terms of the people who work there and the whole vibe of the place.  Did you pick up on that?

Not initially but as soon as somebody pointed it out, yes.  I think my gaydar was always decent but it has been very refined by working in Washington, DC.

It must be a special kind of nightmare to be gay and work for a boss who legislates against you.

That’s what’s so horrible.  Take George W. Bush as an example.  He’s a person who’s not homophobic.  We’ve talked to gay people who are friends of his and some of his staffers are gay.  He’s totally comfortable but the fact that he would promote an amendment to restrict the rights of portion of the citizenry just to further his own reelection is appalling.

NEXT PAGE: What’s up with Charlie Crist?

Ta-Nehisi Coates and Dan Savage are having conversation about outing today. The back and forth started with Coates’ discussing an interview with Kirby Dick, director of Outrage. Coates confesses he understands the impulse to out those who stay in the closet and actively pursue an anti gay political agenda; however, he’s not clear if the outrage is worth the cost.

“I’m skeptical of man’s ability to bring justice to these people, in this fashion. It smells of divine retribution dispensed by childish mortals. What if the guy you outed kills himself? Can you wash your hands of that? Would you truly feel no guilt?”

Savage admits outing is callous but in some cases the full hammer is more than justified.

“Outing someone, as I wrote when I helped out one asshole and declined to participate in the outing of another, is a brutal tactic and should be reserved for brutes. [Larry] Craig and [Charlie] Crist more than qualify,” Savage responded referring to the Idaho’s former senator and Florida’s governor. “I don’t wanna be dramatic, but Craig and Crist have blood on their hands.”

I’m leaning toward Coates on this. Aside from ruining the life of someone who spent a lot of effort in destroying the lives of others, what is the political upswing with outing? What do we get from it? Could be my naive blinders on, but I’m not sure gays and lesbians get anything when an anti-gay person is shown to be who he/she is. Yes we lose a foe but outside of that not much else changes.

Lastly, this is something I can’t break from: anti-gay bigotry stings no matter if the offender likes his sodomy from Beyonce or Beckham. Or both.

Outing will, no doubt, get plenty of debate in the coming weeks and this gets me to thinking. I have a ton of interest in the exploration of the main stream media’s culpability in not reporting on the sexual behavior of closeted gay men (or bi men or men who have sex with men – gotta hit all the categories) who choose to work on legislation against the interests of the GLBT community. The men featured in Outrage are not surprises to many in the gay world. It’s been reported by blogs like blogActive.com and reporters like Michelangelo Signorile for years. Why is it that the intimate details of straight politicians can go under the microscope but when it comes to the sex life of these hypocrites there is nary a peep from the mainstream outlets?

Though the film overwhelms you with the voting record of these politicians on topics from marriage equality to partner benefits to hate crimes legislation, we never see the exposure of these men’s voting records regarding LGBT legislation in major print or on major news outlets. The mainstream media never even discuss the importance of voting records when these men are exposed. When something newsworthy happens (ex. Larry Craig) we see the subject treated in a tabloid nature. For the most part, the coverage is similar to a celebrity getting arrested for drunk driving. We rarely, if ever, see REPORTING. They just miss the point. Being a gay Republican is not news (just ask the Log Cabin Republicans). Being arrested soliciting sex in an airport bathroom shouldn’t be ALL we talk about (though when it comes to hypocrites, I do enjoy the schadenfreude). Serious news agencies should be reporting on how these men’s political actions hurt the people that they socialize with not to mention their own self interests.

We should see some serious discussion of these people’s voting records around LGBT rights. I would even be happy to see a report on why it seems being closeted seems to be the only way to be a successfully elected gay Republican. How about a report on the hypocrisy of it all? It appears that many reporters and news agencies are more frightened of the loss of exposure than getting the real scoop. When it comes to closeted politicians working against LGBT people, the g word is still a dirty little secret that news agencies are afraid to touch with a ten foot pole. We know ALL about former President Clinton’s escapades and the details of John Edwards’ affair are fair game. So should reporting about Rep. Ed Schrock, cosponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, trolling for sex on a gay phone line. Outrage is bringing this debate to the general public and I welcome it.

But what happens when we get full civil rights? When we no longer need politicians to vote for our equality? When we have the law and the constitution on our side? Will we still need reporters to dig into the closets to expose our enemies? Will outing be seen as just a historical tool used in our march toward equal rights? Or will we find that these adversaries will always be lurking?