Prop. 8 donor Scott Eckern explains his resignation from California Musical Theatre

Here is an excerpt from a statement from Scott Eckern, e-mailed to Culture Monster by Randle Communications, a Sacramento public relations firm. Clay Merrill, a media relations manager at Randle, said the firm was sending the statement on Eckern's behalf, although not officially representing him.

"I am leaving California Musical Theatre after prayerful consideration to protect the organization and to help the healing in the local theatre-going and creative community. California Musical Theatre will continue to welcome with open arms all staff, artists and audiences who collaborate in the experience that live theatre does best –- to lift the human spirit. I will continue to be in the audience to cheer on all the good work. It has been an honor to serve alongside those I love and respect in this noble profession. I am disappointed that my personal convictions have cost me the opportunity to do what I love the most which is to continue enriching the Sacramento arts and theatre community.”

In announcing Eckern’s resignation today, the nonprofit theater company reiterated that Eckern’s support for Prop. 8 was independent of his job at CMT, where he had been promoted to artistic director in 2003. “At no time does [CMT] involve itself in political issues or ever impinge on the rights of its employees to engage in political activities of their choice,” the theater’s statement said.

-- Mike Boehm

Comments

[patti]

What has happend with Scott Eckren is being biased from the the gay community. I don't see the ones who voted yes out there causing problems for those that voted no,I see the Mormon churches being vandalized and the temples having protesters around them!! Come on where is the love and acceptance that they say they have for everyone? Maybe they only have love and acceptance if you are for there views. I have nothing against the gay community but I do not think they should be able to get married,that should only be between a Man and a Woman. that is the way God intended it to be.

[Jay]

I am amazed that Patti and others who voted for Proposition 8 think that they have done nothing to cause problems for those who voted no and that they ahve nothing against the gay community. For Gods sake, people, you have deprived us of a fundamental right. You probably have voided 18,000 marriages. You have left children of gay parents without legally-married parents. What hypocrites you are. You don't even take responsibility for the harm you have done. I can't see into your hearts to know whether you are filled with hate, but, believe me, you have harmed many of your fellow citizens with your stupid vote. I hope that the Supreme Court will nullify Proposition 8 and restore the fundamental right to marry.

[getreal]

Do any of you radiacl gays have any idea what you are doing???

Maybe you don't realize that in forwarding reverse discrimination you are starting a ground swell that is only going to go against you.

While we have civil rights, gay rights is a misnomer. The gay life style is a chioce. While being born blck or asian is not. I know you are going to quote genetics or some such rot. None of it has been scientifically proven.

People choose to be gay or lesbian and then choose a normal heterosexual life style. It is a choice. A black person can not choose to be white.

As much as you may not like hearing this, it is a fact.

As for Mr. Eckern, I hope he files a legal suit against CMT and against Yahoo. Yahoo is violating its own "Use Policy" by allowing a website to cause harm to individuals.

[Jay]

getreal, you need to get real. you seem to know absolutely nothing about the topics on which you spout. You are obviously either just a troll or someone who is severely challenged intellectually.

All of you people "warning" gays of a backlash or accusing gays of being intolerant betray your own intolerance.

The Supreme Court of California will nullify Propostion 8 and soon California will again be a place where its citizens enjoy equal rights.

But gay people will have learned a valuable lesson about the hatred of Mormons and others and how they will stoop to really base tactics to deprive us of equal rights. It will take a long time to restore trust.

[getreal]

Jay,

More then 35 States have banned gay marriage. The Federal Govt passed a DOMA act which allows States not to recognize gay marriage from other States. In the last election 3 more States banned gay marriage.

I have had enough of the gay agenda and a bunch of these babies running around attacking people whom supported Prop 8. You are exactly correct, I am intolerant to the gay agenda stripping people, who have chosen to live a moral life style, of their rights.

You want a real definition of intolerance, it is clearly the radical gay activists trying to destroy other people's lives. You want to make change, work within the system and stop attacking people. That is tolerance, not this crap you're dishing out here.

You need to thank your lucky star that I was not Mr. Eckern. I would not have acquiesced so easily. California has laws which prohibit CMT for firing a person based on political opinions. I would have also had Yahoo on the ringer for allowing a website to host of the pro prop 8 people.

In fact I am sending the information I have to Mr. Eckern. I hope he stands back up and fights the good fight. It is a dangerous situation when the gays resort to terrorist activities to forward an agenda. This must stop!!!

[Jay]

getreal, you seem to be very thick. Gay activists are not depriving anyone of their rights. It's boneheads like you and everyone else who voted Yes on Propostion 8 that are trying to deprive people of their rights.

Eckern was not fired. As you point out, California law prohibits him from being fired for his political beliefs. He resigned. You can't resign and then bitch that you were fired. (I wonder if he thought that the kind of publicity he got for his resignation would cause people to rise up and pressure the CMT not to accept his resignation? If he was banking on that, it didn't happen.)

I wonder how often you have protested when gay people have been fired simply for being gay. That happens all the time. There are only twenty states in which gay people have protection against employment discrimination. Luckily, that will change soon when President Obama and the new Congress pass the Employment Discrimination Act.

The terrorist agenda that is at work here are the lies told by the Mormons and other supporters of Proposition 8. These people are guilty of spiritual terrorism. They are also guilty of bearing false witness.

[jetreal]

Jay

You seem to be trying to obscure the point, Mr. Eckern would not have had to step down if the radical gay activists didn't post a list of the Prop 8 supporters and then protested in front of CMT. The fact that Mr. Eckern stepped down shows that he clearly has a higher moral and ethical standard then any of the gay activists attacking him.

Lets be specific, what do you think of the Huguenin's law suite? Because they gracefully declined to photograph a lesbian wedding they were sued for $7000. What are your specific comments to this case? Do you think they should have been forced, by law, to photograph the wedding?

What are your specific comments to California'a SB777? This bill has made it a hate crime to teach about a Husband and a Wife in the CA public schools. Do you think it is OK to force this on parents that want to teach their children traditional values?

[Jay]

jetreal, you simply lie. You must be a Mormon. California's SB777 does nothing of the kind that you say it does. None of the ten commandments mention homosexuality. But the ninth prohibits bearing false witness. Your willingness to spread lies in order to deprive people of rights is really despicabe.

[getreal]

Jay

I'm wondering if you read SB777? Then read penal code section 422.55.

SB777:
This bill would revise the list of prohibited bases of discrimination and the kinds of prohibited instruction, activities, and instructional materials and instead, would refer to disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic contained in the definition of hate crimes that is contained in the Penal Code.

A statement like this has been banned,
212. "Sex" means the biological condition or quality of being a male or female human being.

Penal Code 422.55:
(a) "Hate crime" means a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim:
(1) Disability.
(2) Gender.
(3) Nationality.
(4) Race or ethnicity.
(5) Religion.
(6) Sexual orientation.
(7) Association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

If a Teacher were to refer to a girl as a female and Johnny felt left out because he thinks he is a girl, the Teacher is violating SB777. The wording is pretty clear that to Johnny, a hate crime has been committed. Johnny is a girl and the Teacher just discriminated against his identity. Remember that violations of SB777 have been grouped with hate crimes.

If Heather has two Moms, and the Teacher gave a lesson on Husband and Wife, or Mom and Dad, in Heather's eyes the Teacher has just committed a hate crime. Heather doesn't have a Dad and the Teacher just discriminated against her.

Given the propensity of the CA schools this is not a stretch.

Never mind all the problems that have just been created in the CA public schools because gender identity is not allowed anymore. What about Johnny wanting to use the non female girls bathroom?

Never mind that SB777 just removed the rights of all the Parents whom wanted to teach their children traditional values. I noticed you didn't comment specifically on this??

Jay, why didn't you comment on the Huguenin's case? I would like to know what you think about this application of the law?

You want to have a discussion?? Lets get down to brass tacks. What are your specific comments. (That would mean that you would reply to every sentence which ends in a "?" or "??".)

[Jay]

As Bruce Vilanch commented, "You can't have a dialogue with bigots." Especially one who invents "facts" like getreal.

[getreal]

Jay

I have attempted to have a reasonable dialog with you. All you do in return is call people names, level insults and present diatribes which do not focus on the topic at hand. This subject must provoke a lot of fear in you, all you do is reply with emotion and no substantive citations of your own.

I have presented you with facts taken directly from the legal webpages of the California website. Those are not words I have made up. I have posed real life scenarios and asked for your thoughts. Still you can not allow these words into the scope of your understanding.

This is the current problem with the gay agenda. Everything is black and white, there is absolutely no tolerance, this is the type of behavior which demonstrates bigotry. Gay activists are seeking to destroy people whom supported Prop 8. These radical actions are simply wrong!!

The good people of California voted yes on Prop 8 to maintain the sanctity of the institution of marriage. A yes on prop 8 also shows they want to maintain a moral and ethical basis in the schools. There are many people whom are resolute in protecting the moral standards of society, for this I am thankful.

Jay, clearly you have been unable to argue your points with rational thoughts. As for this rather disappointing dialog with you, it is finished.

I SAY. Let's CREATE A New Proposition call " NO TO DIVORCE" and let's see if straight people can tolerate it the same way. Bunch of Hyprocrites that should not be ALLOWED to cast judgements on others.

[Thomas]

Eckern exercised his freedoms by supporting Prop 8 with his vote and his money.

The artists and consumers who were opposed to Prop 8 are simply doing the same.

Anti-gay groups have gone to great lengths over the years to let businesses and even entire cities know that they will boycott them if they support gay equality.

Why is wrong for pro-gay people to play that same game?

I can understand why so many people took Eckern's actions so personally.

This man earn his livlihood in a field that gay people play prominent roles in as creators, performers, supporters and consumers.

How would Eckern feel if next year there was an initiative on the ballot to deny people of the Mormon faith equality in some area and then found out that people he worked with every day chose to vote to support it?

I respect that he has his faith. But he also had friends in this community.

He didn't have to choose one over the other.

His faith wasn't being threatened but the equality of his friends was.

Why did he have to donate money or vote at all?

It wasn't his faith that asked that of him. It was his church.

[Thomas]

Getreal,

The supreme courts in three states, including California, have all determined that placing a gender restriction on a legal contract, which is what marriage is...as far as goverment is concerned...is unconstitutional.

I have absolute faith that this measure will also be overturned.

If not, the people who have been disenfranchised by it will take it to the next level...the U.S. Supreme Court.

You keep referring to the gay agenda.

Please enlighten us to what you think that "gay agenda" is.

What rights or priviledges are gays asking for that you don't already have?

You can marry the consenting adult of your choice.

You can serve your country without having to edit or lie about who you are.

Again...please tell us what you think gays wants...that YOU don't already have.

These marriage bans will be overturned. Mark my words. Loving vs Virginia established marriage as a fundamental right of citizens of this country and determined that personal characteristics of the participants (race) cannot be used to deny them that that right.

Dozens of other cases will be cited as precedents for recognizing that sexual orientation is as much a personal characteristic as anything else.

You are standing on what will eventually be the wrong side of history on this issue.

You are demanding that marriage be defined by what two people have between their legs.

We will not quit until marriage is defined by what two people have in their hearts.