Let’s be frank on where TenduTV stands on this topic… we believe the passage of Prop 8 and similar measures in Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas was a disgrace and an abomination. We believe that these laws are a direct violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed to Americans in the both the Declaration of Independence, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia. We also believe that the performing arts should have a unified response to the matter, and humbly point industry leaders to the NAACP tourism boycott of South Carolina when planning, preparing or considering locations for future industry events and conferences.

Moving back to the topic promised:

As relevant today

Scott Eckern, the artistic director of the California Musical Theater resigned after it was discovered that he had donated $1,000 in support of Prop 8 on the website antigayblacklist.com, based on data from electiontrack.com. His excuse, “I support each individual to have rights and access and I understood that in California domestic partnerships come with the same rights that come with marriage” is one that is often used by those who find themselves in the untenable position of having to work or collaborate with members of the LGBT community, perhaps respecting them as individuals, but still considering them worthy as a group of second-class status under the law. If any employer exhibited similar behavior or discrimination towards women or minorities, regardless of their qualities on the job, they would certainly be castigated, so why should this be any different?

It’s hard to draw a line in the sand, because free speech and the right to one’s opinion are equally powerful among our inalienable rights. The overriding issue, however, is that any right that is not universal isn’t a right at all, but a privilege, and the pursuit of happiness was not considered a privilege by the founders of our nation.

Mr. Eckern… don’t let the stage door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Tagged with: california musical theater , prop 8 , proposition 8 , scott eckern