'Outrage Film' Gets Republicans Out of Closet

California GOP Rep. David Dreier is front and center in the film "Outrage" which just opened at the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco pointing to a number of legislators that include Dreier, the Representative from San Dimas, Florida's Charlie Christ and former New york Mayor Ed Koch, all of whom have been outspoken against gay rights issues. This has caused a firestorm of controversy. Many Republicans considered that effort to be offensive and over the top. SFgate wrote that even some Democrats aren't in agreement with doing this film that "outs" some Republicans. Democratic strategist Garry South said, "We Democrats constantly critize right-wing, moralistic Republicans for trying to legislate what goes on in the bedroom. You can't say (sexual orientation) doesn't matter with Democrats but it matters with Republicans." Still the gays see the Republican party as consistently against gay and lesbian civil rights, including the same-sex legislation vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar."The Republican Party has historically and consistently fought every and any advances to LGBT civil rights," said State Senator Mark Leno, one of four gays in the California legislature. He went on to say,

All my Republican colleagues in Sacramento - every one - voted against a domestic partner registry ... against giving same-sex couples hospital visitation rights, against adding sexual orientation to the Fair Employment Housing Act.

"They have, without exception, been on the wrong side of history regarding our civil rights."

Those in support of the film declare Director Kirby Dick's film isn't a hit job but something that needed to be said about the hypocrisies that exist with politicians saying one thing when it comes to sexual affairs and doing quite another. Movie critics list Idaho congressman Larry Craig, arrested for soliciting sex in a men’s bathroom, who voted 11 times against HIV/AIDS support 11 times in almost 20 years. Charlie Crist, the Florida governor, who has been against gay marriage, is reported to have left a string of male lovers in his rise to the top. Not only are the movie reviewers weighing in, the LA Times does too. The film mentions those already noted here, Charlie Crist, Ed Kock, Larry Craig and the like and also Jim McCreary who resigned his post as Representative in the State of Louisiana in the seat won by another Republican John Fleming of Louisiana. The Times note the film's agenda clearly is about hypocrisy. Dick is said to give quite specific examples with a number of these men, with conflicting statements mixed with photos, expressing his opinion in the words in film somewhat like Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), a gay congressman who outed himself, who maintains: "There is a right to privacy, there's no right to hypocrisy." The controversial nature of the film with the sides lining up for and against it will likely promote good attendance, but as one reviewer noted it leaves one wondering what journalists did who knew about these issues and didn't report them and why the mainstream media wasn't out front outing them earlier.