Welcome to the latest installment of “Who Are The Gays Boycotting Now?” This week: AMC Theatres. And no, it’s not because of the pretentious spelling of “theatre.”
Apparently, the crazy anti-gay group Focus on the Family has rented a bunch of AMCs, and will use them to show a crazy antigay documentary called Irreplacable in May.
On one hand — this isn’t exactly AMC’s fault, right? They just rented out their theater to whoever had the money to pay them. And if FoTF wants to throw their dough away on silly projects like this, why not let them?
Except. This isn’t just a case of someone renting out a theater to watch The Lion King with all their friends. This is an opportunity for a bunch of really terrible, harmful people to spread a ton of lies about us. The documentary features interviews with people who advocate for erasing gays from newspapers; abusing us at ex-gay torture camps; and wiping away our rights.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Giving lunatics like this a platform isn’t harmless, and now AMC is complicit.
So, what can they do? Well, we wouldn’t recommend turning FoTF into martyrs by canceling their screenings. We’ve seen how well that sort of thing works with Chick-fil-A and Duck Dynasty.
Instead, AMC needs to distance themselves from the screening. Repudiate what FoTF stands for, starting with founder James Dobson’s statement that “Same-sex relationships undermine the future generation’s understanding of the fundamental principles of marriage, parenthood, and gender.”
And then AMC needs to pledge to donate a portion of FoTF’s revenue to groups that work to protect LGBT families. Give some small amount to undo the damage that this screening will do. Stop being complicit with the abusers. AMC already has a very nice diversity program, a score of 100 from HRC, and even made an It Gets Better video, so a little corrective philanthropy shouldn’t be too hard.
Also, please stop forcing all our cute little local one-screen movie theaters to close, thanks.
Cam
“So, what can they do? Well, we wouldn’t recommend turning FoTF into martyrs by canceling their screenings. We’ve seen how well that sort of thing works with Chick-fil-A and Duck Dynasty.”
___________________
Is this a joke? Once again Queerty is opposed to doing anything, whether it is boycotting a horrifically anti-gay country, Chick Fil Et or Duck Dynasty.
Lets just see how well they worked. Chick Fil Et had more than one restaurant close and Duck Dynasty’s fallout hasn’t been seen yet.
If AMC rented out their theaters to a group screening kiddie porn or a documentary that advocated beating women if they vote nobody would be claiming that AMC had no blame in the incident.
Perhaps Queerty should avoid anything serious if their fallback is to always advocate not speaking up.
DShucking
Cam, it’s that same overreaction and over the top hyperbole that made Duck Dynasty into free speech heroes. Keep up the good work. Not.
Charles175
Us becoming visible by coming out to family, friends and acquaintances has and will continue to show those around us (thru out this land) that we are not the monsters we have been painted to be by these liars.
Charles175
One of the editorials in The New York Times of 27 December 2013 is entitled “New Victories for Marriage Equality: Encouraging rulings in Utah and Ohio suggest state bans may not stand for long” (p. A26), in which we learn that when “Judge Shelby repeatedly pressed the state’s lawyers to explain how, as they contended, permitting same-sex marriage would undermine the incentive for opposite sex-couples to marry and have children,” the lawyers’ response was “We just simply don’t know.”
2eo
@Cam: Seems you have a new stalker Cam, he isn’t as funny as BJ though, at least Frisk is an unbelievably naive idiot, DShucking is just dim.
We need better standard stalkers.
mrDarren
That is despicable. However, ‘theatre’ is not pretentious, it is the correct ENGLISH SPELLING.
Love from Jolly Old England.
bobbyjoe
It’s Fathom Events that’s behind this Focus on the Family thing– not AMC. “Irreplacable” will air not just in AMC theaters, but in those of several chains (this keeps being misreported all over the net).
Fathom Events is the company that puts the Metropolitan Opera, the National Theatre Live, and the Rifftrax guys (i.e., Mystery Science Theater) into movie theaters.
In other words, contacting AMC is fine– they do business with Fathom– but Fathom Events is the prime source. We should also be contacting the Met, the National Theatre, and Rifftrax, and ask them if they’re comfortable working with a company that’s promoting anti-gay propaganda.
Oh, and the way to avoid a Duck Dynasty phony and disingenuous “free speech” martyrdom by the anti-gay bigots is not to insist that Fathom Events yank “Irreplacable”– it’s to insist that if they’re going to promote one side of a socio-political issue then they need to balance it by promoting the other side. Let’s see if they’re willing to simultaneously promote a pro-gay event every time they promote an anti-gay one (I.m sure quite a number of pro-gay celebrities would be willing to participate in such an event). If Fathom refuses and reveals a one-sided bigoted agenda, then the “they’re trying to shut down our free speech” argument can be made from OUR side.
Dakotahgeo
Seems to me the Focus on the Family should focus on their own Famn Damily!! You jus’ gotta keep feeding the toilet guards!
Cam
@DShucking:
Free Speech heros? Really? To Whom? The same people that are bigots already?
The fact is they have become the face of bigotry in America. But you keep right on supporting the anti-gay folks.
Cam
@bobbyjoe: said…
:it’s to insist that if they’re going to promote one side of a socio-political issue then they need to balance it by promoting the other side.
_________________
It is embarrassing that you think your civil rights are one side of a balanced argument.
Do you also think that when discussing the voting rights act that they should also allow equal time to the KKK to present their side automatically? Because that is what you’re advocating here.
DShucking
“But you keep right on supporting the anti-gay folks.” – I support anti-gay folks? You fucking moron. I didn’t defend anyone anti-gay you limited queen. I pointed out that your old school, frothing at the mouth, gay self-entitlement is what allowed the backlash against our gay outrage to be so successful. If you can’t see that then you have proven my point and will continue to lose these cultural battles. We’re about to hit 2014. Get some fucking perspective.
Billysees
@Charles175:
Say it again Charles.
” ….coming out to family, friends and acquaintances ….will continue to show those around us ….that we are not the monsters we have been painted to be by these liars. ”
And please repeat your second comment why you’re at it.
SteveDenver
AMC in Colorado would have a difficult time refusing rental to FOTF for the same reason they would be hard pressed to rent to anyone: Colorado’s voters in 1992 passed the poisonous Amendment 2, that allowed bias against gays and lesbians in public accommodation. When it was overturned in the state supreme court, fairness legislation was instituted on its heels to ensure that similar legislation could not pass again in Colorado. This legislation prohibits bias based on religious affiliation, which (unfortunately for equality-minded Christians) is the stance of FOTF.
What should AMC do? Jack up its rental rates and partner with screening projects its supports and not others. This is “fair bias” practiced in many businesses from grocery chains to country clubs.
SteveDenver
@SteveDenver: Ugh, I did it again:
“AMC in Colorado would have a difficult time refusing rental to FOTF for the same reason they would be hard pressed to REFUSE TO rent to anyone:”
Cam
@DShucking: said…
““But you keep right on supporting the anti-gay folks.” –
I support anti-gay folks? You fucking moron. I didn’t defend anyone anti-gay you limited queen. I pointed out that your old school, frothing at the mouth, gay self-entitlement is what allowed the backlash against our gay outrage to be so successful. If you can’t see that then you have proven my point and will continue to lose these cultural battles.
_____________
Gee, lets dissect your statement shall we?
1. You claim you don’t support anti-gay folks and yet one short response from you not only contains a homophobic insult, but also mentions “Gay Self-entitlement” and “Gay Outrage” both phrases STRAIGHT out of NOM’s as well as the anti-gay right’s playbook.
2. As for “Losing these cultural battles” lets see, would that be the cultural battles were approval of marriage has gone from 30% to nearly 60% nationwide? Or would that be the fact that the last several votes in states for marriage have all passed?
Sorry but if you are trying to prove you aren’t anti-gay you may not want to post something that could have come directly from Maggie Gallagher’s keyboard.
AuntieChrist
The more visible we become the worse things will get…The civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s proves that…Harvey Milk was our M.L.K. The only difference is, cause we are gay it matters less to non-gays…I was there for the rallies, I handed out flyers for Harvey, I was in the candle light march and when the riot started we ran from the army of cops in their riot suits and shields and clubs…I think some of you girls need to get a perspective especially you youngsters, some of whom were not even born yet…The duck die nasty thing is nothing compared to what is to come when this kind of fear and hate is allowed to grow…We need to stick together not tear each other up.
DShucking
I feel so badly for bitter old paranoid queens. You can’t get over your own ego to see that you have very little to be so angry about as gay men. Sad.
Jim Hlavac
The thing to do is for gay groups to buy up all the tickets and let the mush play to empty theaters —
DShucking
@Jim Hlavac: No, they should buy half the tickets and play disco and talk to each other through the whole movie.
Cam
@DShucking: said.. “I feel so badly for bitter old paranoid queens. You can’t get over your own ego to see that you have very little to be so angry about as gay men. Sad.
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And once again the worst insult you can possibly think to call somebody is a homophobic one. Interesting that you claim to not support anti-gay bigots and yet every single thing you type either directly supports them or uses anti-gay slurs to attack other people.
If this is you trying to prove you AREN’T supporting anti-gay bigots you might want to look up the definition of support.
AuntieChrist
@DShucking: I feel so badly for jaded apathetic little punks who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground…FYI…you too will age unless you’re hit by a bus or die during auto erotic asphyxiation 🙂 Or perhaps an especially aggressive STD.
DShucking
Point being, if you’re an old queen you’re carrying with you an anger that is no longer justified. If you’re a young queen you have no reason to be this bitter and angry. Either way, your variety of angry gay as become a thing of the past and that can only be a good thing.
crowebobby
@mrDarren: It’s pretentious for an American, unless they also spell color “colour” and while “whilst.” (Note the period BEFORE the quote marks.) Nothing to get upset about, I agree, but it’s jarring to see these sudden switches from standard American English to standard English English. And I think you’ll find both have long been considered “correct.”
DShucking
@crowebobby: I agree. They got it from reading Duran Duran lyrics growing up.
TehLonelyMon
AMC is partial owner of Fathom Events.