Balls! Florida’s Republican lawmakers are sneakily trying to strip out tax cuts for movie and television producers that dare include gay characters. Tucked inside a $75 million incentive bill, any production that includes “nontraditional family values” won’t be able to score the family-friendly tax cut. And yes, “nontraditional family values” include portrayals of alcoholics, drug users, and your average gay uncle.
Currently, films shot in Florida can score a tax credit worth up to two percent of its production cost, so long as it’s family friendly. The new bill would increase the credit to five percent, but also block new categories of eligible projects. Anything to do with smoking and sex, or obscenity, are blocked (sorry, porn studios!), and now so too will representations of homogayqueerfags.
We get why lawmakers have a tax incentive bill at all: To encourage filmmakers to develop projects in Florida, which in turn contribute to the state economy. But then they qualify the tax credit with a morals clause, because should taxpayers really be the ones footing the bill if Quentin Tarantino comes to town and wants five percent off his blood thirsty flick?
But Florida, whose sexual identity crisis rivals that of Gov. Charlie Crist, will be overstepping with this no-gays thing, because for the fifty-thousandth time, sexual orientation and gender identity don’t necessarily mean the film is about sex, the same way a film about a mom and dad and their kids isn’t about plugging human orifices.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Curiously, it looks like the biggest challenger to the bill could be Disney Corp., at least in theory. Not that Disney’s ABC Studios is shooting much content in Florida, but this media behemoth’s main concern is profits, and it shouldn’t stand for any state trying to limit how many tax breaks it might be eligible for.
And we’d expect producers of CSI: Miami to try fighting the bill, but with all that sex, drugs, and violence, they’re probably already missing out on it anyhow. That, and just like every other show set in Florida, CSI: Miami barely films any of its scenes there.
This is a stupid effort to insert religious beliefs into secular government policies, and is in fact bad for Florida families. If the tax incentives are there to encourage investment in Florida, limiting them with a values clause will keep desperately needed money out of the state.
(NB: The Monster movie poster appears here because 1) Charlize and Christina got it on; 2) it was filmed entirely in Central Florida; 3) it’s a freakin’ Oscar-winning film, with Charlize taking home Best Actress.)
terrwill
Fine, each and every project with any Gay decision makers involved should cease any projects in Florida. How many revenue producing projects think Florida would see??
It boggles the mind that in this economy that these scumbags would deny their state any revenue simply to appeal to the hate filled vile reprehensive religious savages………
Daniel
Sounds like there should be a citizen amendment that prevents politicians from being paid lobbyists for 20 years after they leave office.
Florida Together
Bill Pending in Florida Legislature would discourage depiction of “non-traditional” families in films
Florida Together Urges Florida Legislature to Remove Provision
from Proposed Bill
House Bill 697 and Senate Bill 1430, filed in January for the 2010 Legislative Session in Tallahassee, would revise the state’s financial incentive program to provide tax credits to the film industry, but an additional “family friendly” credit would be provided only if film makers censor films to avoid certain subject matters, including depiction of “non-traditional family values”. The provision could cause filmmakers who film in Florida to avoid depictions of non-traditional families such as gay families, single-parent families, families where grandkids are raised by their grandparents, etc.
Real-life families come in all shapes and sizes. Marginalizing single-parent families, gay families and other non-traditional families by instituting 1950’s-style movie censorship does nothing to support real-life families or help Florida’s struggling economy.
Florida Together learned of the problematic language after the House Economic Development Policy Committee voted unanimously to move the House bill out of that committee last Wednesday on March 3, 2010.
We then immediately engaged some of Florida Together’s local member organizations, such as SAVE Dade and Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, to oppose this provision of the proposed bill, making use of positive relationships with legislators from their local regions.
Since learning of the problematic language last Wednesday, we communicated with several legislators, including some bill sponsors, and continued to do so as recently as today. What we learned from the sponsors we’ve spoken to, including Democrats and Republicans, was that each expressed surprise and concern when we told them the bill included the “non-traditional family” language, and each agreed to look into this right away.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Chairwoman Jennifer Carroll, R-Fleming Island, who praised the bill for promoting “positive social aspects” when her committee voted for the bill, later she didn’t know about the prohibition on family-friendly credits, and that the language should be changed.
“What someone could see as a traditional family value could be different for another person,” Carroll was quoted as saying in the Post. “We’ll have to delve into that.”
Florida Together will be working with our members and partners on trying to get the problematic language changed through the committee process over the next few days. If that does not resolve the problem, our community and organizations will need to work together to draw attention and opposition to the problematic language in this bill.
Ted Howard, Executive Director
Florida Together is the advocacy arm of Florida Together Federation, a federation of local organizations. Florida Together’s website is coming soon. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Florida Together Federation, our 501(c)3 arm, visit that website at http://outfl.org/, or visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=48497576155. Please note that Florida Together and Florida Together Federation are affiliated, but separate and distinct legal entities.
ELNIKO7
The sad thing is that our society has so deteriorated that this issue even needs to be considered. While homosexual sexual acts have been historically frowned upon, as long as the acts were in private and people werent’ parading down streets, no one really cared what you did in the privacy of your own home. The issue here is not folks are trying to prevent homosexual sexuality between consenting adults, but that the community at large is having stuff that tbey don’t want to be around shoved down their throats. If the homosexual community would back off, the rest of community would be less inclined to push for these actions.
DeAnimator
Too bad ‘parading down the streets’ usually means just going to the friggin grocery store. To the people who push for this kind of stuff, ANY show of affection or just any queer person out in public is an affront to them. The problem is that queer people aren’t going to hide who they are (like heterosexuals). It has nothing to do with parading around. …If you’re going to the grocery store in ass-less chaps or a feather boa on the other hand- you’re parading yourself around regardless of your sexual identity.
Maybe queer people would stop ‘shoving it down people’s throats’ when heterosexual people do the same. So…no more talking about your husband/wife, no mentioning them at work/in a public setting lest you offend someone, no holding hands, no discussing your relationship in public, no films/tv shows/music/literature/etc depicting heterosexual relationships…You get the idea. If I didn’t have to see over 100 ads depicting women draping themselves over men, or other ‘immoral’ displays of heterosexuality on my way to work, or just in my life in general, I just might agree with you.
October2010
It shocks me still that we are talking about this at all. It saddens me to be reminded that folks still regard anyone as different from themselves as a ‘danger to them’. What is their definition of ‘traditional families’?
Arrogance, intolerance, pride, conceit are once more displayed by those who are certain they know what’s best for all.
I live in Florida.
I am embarassed to admit this once again.
Maybe it is true the heterosexuals either hate us to our face or behind our back.