Following last week’s inane passage of California’s Proposition 8, which amends the state constitution to ban gay weddings (including George Takei’s!), opponents are calling for a boycott of Utah tourism to punish the Mormon Church for its support of the initiative. Obviously we understand why they’re upset, because we are too. But now, caught in the crossfire, for some crazy reason, is the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: “It’s high time Sundance found a better state to party in than the seat of the Mormon Church,†writes America Blog’s John Aravosis. “Sundance is THE gathering of liberal Hollywood. The last place it should be is in Utah. Robert Redford, are you out there?â€
Problem is, since next year’s fest opens on January 15, it’s way too late for a change of venue. And, as Dave Poland points out, it’s not totally clear that any of Sundance’s participating hotels or businesses actually donated to the Prop 8 campaign. Plus, it’s not like Park City (where Sundance is based) is as conservative as its surrounding areas, and we can’t really see much point in punishing the city just because it happens to be located in Utah. Poland urges Aravosis to draft a list of boycottable Park City business that did give money to Prop 8, and that seems like a reasonable solution here, since any protest that threatens the actual film festival would be sort of idiotic. Like a spokesman for the fest said yesterday, “Sundance Institute was founded on the idea of championing diversity and freedom of expression. It would be a grave disappointment to us if our Festival were to be singled out for a boycott, especially as we celebrate 25 years of showcasing independent voices.â€
Why is the Sundance Film Festival taking place in the Hate State of Utah? [America Blog]
Angry Prop 8 opponents urge boycott of Utah ski areas and Sundance Film Festival [Mercury News]
What Would Harvey Do? [Hot Blog]
Gay Activists vs. Utah and Sundance [Thompson on Hollywood/Variety]