NPR has started a controversy — and probably guaranteed “hit” status for a new movie — by censoring its own review of the film Outrage. The movie is a documentary that takes issue with closeted gay politicians who oppose and work against gay rights. The filmmaker, Kirby Dick, outs several big name politicians, none of whose “closeted gay” status is a big surprise, namely Sen. Larry “Wide Stance” Craig, former Bush strategist Ken Mehlman, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. NPR sliced and diced a review by writer Nathan Lee, removing Craig and Crist’s names from the review, in order to “respect the privacy of public figures.” In protest of NPR’s move, Lee took his name off the review. Now arguments are flying on the issues of whether NPR’s actions — and the film itself — are good or bad. Some say NPR was right, others say it’s enabling homophobia. Some say the politicians have a right to their closet and shouldn’t have been outed, while others say the pols’ hypocrisy needs to be examined. According to the film company Magnolia Pictures, Outrage is a “searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with appalling gay rights voting records who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to.”
Here’s the trailer for the film:
And get in on the commentary at Pam’s House Blend blog.
This article appears in May 12-19, 2009.
