Larry Miller, the entrepeneur who pulled the film Brokeback Mountain from his megaplex movie theater, met civil protest at an event at the University of Utah at which Miller was a speaker.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune article, about 75% of the attendees wore cowboy hats as they sat in silence during Miller’s speech.
“We’re wearing the hats to show how individuals were hurt when he didn’t show ‘Brokeback Mountain,'” said Charles Milne, coordinator for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center at the U. But “we’re going to be here listening to his speech in celebration of his right to speak.”
A smaller group of the protesting students, participants of the LGBT Center at the U, met with Miller before the speech in an attempt to promote some common dialogue and to educate Miller on issues associated with the GLBT community. Miller’s reaction:
Before moving into his planned speech, Miller took a few minutes to describe that meeting. “Something remarkable happened in this building the other day,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “For two hours, we had a remarkably open dialogue, and I learned a lot.’
Miller said people on all sides of the issue went into the meeting “with one thing in common: fear and trepidation,” but the group quickly established a feeling of respect, if not agreement. Miller said people in the meeting told him stories of being ostracized by family members and the community in general because of their sexual orientation.
“One of the great lessons learned by me, and maybe others in that room, is that we have a lot more in common than we previously thought.”
It appears that some ice may have been broken. Kudos to these students for addressing this issue in a civil, non-violent way.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 