Prop. 8 Controversy Hits Austin: The Boycott Cinemark Movement
The backlash to California Proposition 8 is sweeping the country. Here in Austin, last weekend, thousands of people gathered at City Hall in large protest against the recently passed California constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Now the protest is moving into movie theaters.
What's come out in the days since the election is the extent to which religious followers across the nation donated to the "Yes on Prop. 8" effort. One of those donors was Alan Stock, CEO of the Texas-based Cinemark movie chain, who donated $9,999 to the Prop. 8 advocates.
Some moviegoers are very upset. A national call to boycott Cinemark theaters has been growing, and there is evidence that Austinites are responding. A Boycott Cinemark group has formed on Facebook, and I'm seeing Austin friends join the group. Missives to boycott are flying through the Internets' tubes, such as this posting to Craig's List Austin.
There are five Cinemark movie theaters in the Austin area.
Cinemark has issued a response to the calls for boycott, trying to separate themselves from the actions of their CEO:
Please know that Cinemark made no financial contribution to either side on this issue. The company does not take a formal position on political issues that do not directly affect our business.
I profess ambivalence over the issue. I don't blame the corporation for the actions of its CEO, but I do believe that the profits from that corporation are the oxygen that enabled the CEO to do it.
I suspect that a lot of the "Yes on Prop. 8" giving may have been done naively, spurred by pressure from church leadership. I'm not convinced Stock (or Scott Eckern) understood, in advance, the hurtful nature of such actions.
So, I made my personal decision to stand with the boycott, not to suck out all the oxygen and harm innocent bystanders (such as Cinemark employees), but rather to raise the point that these actions have hurtful consequences.
That's just my opinion. You may think otherwise; the comments are open.
[Editor's Note: Prop. 8 contributions are causing a stir in other film communities, too: Check out Eugene Hernandez's IndieWire column and Kim Voynar's Movie City News column about these issues.]
The real Austin boycott...
I boycott theaters that do not serve beer and do not show weird movies in order to support both of these issues, which are very important to me.
Moot for Me
Let's see if my comment sticks this time.
I'd boycott Cinemark, if I ever went to one. I've been to a Cinemark maybe three times in the 12+ years I've lived in Austin.
As it is, I'm finding less and less reason to go to a big chain instead of sticking with home grown screens.
No thanks
This boycott is a stupid idea. I heard the whole thing is a stunt to promote the movie "Milk."
Since this report speaks
Since this report speaks directly about the movie "MILK" and its relevance to today's issues, it seems worth remembering MIlk's own feelings with Proposition 6. He felt that, if Prop. 6 was passed, that the gay community would rise up in an angry and perhaps violent offensive that would have been entirely understandable. The unfinished business of Milk's time is still affecting us today and it this generations responsibility to carry it forward.
We are not in the midst of a polite debate. We are not haggling over a trinket in a foreign bazaar. Prop 8 singles out gays. It strips them of rights. It undermines the very foundations of the Constitution of the country - which has no relationship to biblical belief or religious fanaticism. If gays are going to be singled out through the passage of this proposition, then the supporters of it should expect to be targeted themselves. If they are in positions of power, such as CEO of Cinemark, then the foundations of their power ought to be attacked and brought down.
Cinemark is fair game as is the Mormon Church. We are not engaged in a friendly disagreement. These people have mobilized to strip Americans they don't like or respect of their civil rights. That's not politics. That is war. Gays have learned how to fight back and we ought to throw our full fury at individuals who funded this fight against us AND their power bases - period.
Civil Rights or Civil War. Gay Rights Now!
I think not only a boycott
I think not only a boycott but perhaps on the 8th of each month (prop 8) a picket line in front of the theaters would be nice. And in front of the Mormon church and the Catholic church.
Years ago I had to cross a picket line (of Christian 'fundies') in Orange County California to see the movie The Last Temptation of Christ.
A boycott isn't enough - let's picket these creeps.
While I am an avid supporter
While I am an avid supporter of the freedom of expression, and Alan was certainly within his righs to donate his money to whichever campaign he wishes, I am disappointed by Cinemark's blatant lack of response.
Other than a lousy, canned response, no action has been taken to reach out to the LGBT community. If it is such a big supporter of equal opportunity, then why have they not condemned the action of their own CEO? Imagine if Alan had been been found to have donated money to some anti-semetic group, or the Ku Klux Klan...
Sometimes, monetary donation is not the only way to demonstrate your support for a cause. At times like this, the lack of action speaks louder than word. Through this incident, Cinemark had a great opportunity to turn something negative into positive PR. It has failed to do so.