Thursday March 16, 2006
Bishops, Tourism, Sour Grapes and All Things Brokeback
By John-Henry Westen
CALGARY, March 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The homosexual propaganda film Brokeback Mountain may be appreciated by the new archbishop of San Francisco (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/feb/06021306.html ), but the film has received a cold reception from the President of the Mexican Bishops Conference. Bishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago said that within such films "there is a very clear tendency…of inserting a conviction into the atmosphere and mentality of society that a deviated sexual orientation can be considered completely normal."
Catholic News Agency reports that Bishop Rabago commented on the film now being distributed in Mexico under the title 'Secret on the Mountain'. "People who have this type of orientation deserve respect, because they are human beings...but orientations of this nature are always abnormal, they are deviated orientations," said the bishop. "I can tell you," he continued, "that those of us who have pastoral contact with these types of people know about their great suffering."
That cold reception has extended to Turkey where the government committee on rating movies judged that the movie would harm public morals and thus restricted it to viewers over 18.
But in Canada, where the film was judged suitable for viewing by persons 14 years of age and even for younger children when accompanied by an adult, the film is being hailed as a boon to the local movie industry and even tourism. Alberta's Minister of Economic Development Clint Dunford said of Brokeback's Oscar wins, "I am pleased. Winning at the Oscars provides a credential booster for both the local crew and for the province. Boosting Alberta's image like this means more film business in the future and the imagery captured by Alberta's inspiring mountain scenery will have a lasting effect on Alberta's tourism for years to come."
Alberta is Canada's most conservative province. As such the locals are not all rejoicing that their towns are set to become hotbeds of gay tourism. CBC reports that Gordon MacIvor, economic development officer for the town of Fort Macleod - where much of the movie was filmed, said "There has been some controversy with respect to the moral issue." Adding, "We are in a modern society today ... there have been a lot of movies out on controversial issues and it's your own personal judgment on it."
In related news, the author of the controversial story which birthed the film was evidently not happy with the 57 awards (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/awards ) the film has acquired. Annie Proulx, wrote a stinging criticism of the Oscars for failing to award her pet project as Best Picture. In her 'sour grapes rant', Proulx made the ludicrous accusation that the academy voters were 'conservative'. On the selection of Crash over Brokeback she said, "We should have known conservative heffalump academy voters would have rather different ideas of what was stirring contemporary culture." (http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1727309,00.html )
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
USCCB Changes Rating on Brokeback Mountain to Morally Offensive
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/05121607.html
Brokeback Mountain Banned in China, Middle East
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/feb/06021005.html
Canada's Largest Catholic Paper Lauds Gay Propaganda Film ...
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/feb/06021508.html
Dominican Leader "Highly Recommends" Homosexual Cowboy Film
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/feb/06020703.html
Priest Advises a "Brokeback Lent", Homily Encourages Propaganda Film
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06030707.html
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