By John Wright News Editor
Dec 4, 2008 - 9:03:19 PM Email this article
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Organizer says furor over Cinemark CEO's Prop 8 donation and film
about gay icon hit home for him
Isreal Luna
PLANO — Israel Luna has always been much more of an artist than an activist.
But the 36-year-old Luna, a well-known gay independent filmmaker from
Dallas, said a recent controversy involving Plano-based Cinemark
Theatres struck a nerve with him.
Some in the LGBT community have been calling for a boycott of
Cinemark, after CEO Alan Stock contributed $9,999 to Yes on 8, the
campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage in California. And now Cinemark,
the nation's third-largest theater chain, stands to profit from
showings of "Milk," the recently released film about murdered San
Francisco gay-rights activist Harvey Milk.
In response, Luna is organizing a protest outside the Cinemark Legacy
in Plano on Friday, Dec. 12, the same day "Milk" is set to open at the
company's hometown theater. The time of the rally has yet to be
determined, but Luna said it likely will be around noon.
"I've never done anything like this before," said Luna, who serves as
segment producer for DVtv, Dallas Voice's online video news outlet. "I
guess this one hit close to home because it has to do with the
industry that I'm in. I'm all about movies and I'm a huge movie fan
and that's my business. I really believe in this, and I really do
think that this is the right thing to do."
Although Luna is new to planning LGBT demonstrations, he's received
support and guidance from the organizers of successful recent rallies
at First Baptist Church of Dallas and Dallas City Hall. An
organizational meeting for the Plano Cinemark rally is set for noon
Saturday, Dec. 6 at Buli Café, 3908 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas.
Sam Fulcher, who was a first-time activist when he helped organize the
First Baptist rallies in November, said it's good to see additional
newcomers getting involved in the wake of Proposition 8, the
constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in California.
Fulcher said he plans to attend the Plano Cinemark rally and has
already sent e-mails about it to the 200-plus people whose addresses
he accumulated during the First Baptist demonstrations. Fulcher said
he believes that in some ways, Stock's actions are worse than those of
the Rev. Robert Jeffress, the senior pastor whose series of anti-gay
sermons sparked the rallies outside First Baptist.
"I guess when I think about it, it makes me even more angry because
here's a guy who's obviously giving money to take away gay rights, and
now he's wanting to profit from a film about the gay rights movement,"
said Fulcher, 34. "I don't think you can get any more blatantly
hypocritical than that."
Luna also has consulted with Etta Zamboni, the lead organizer of a
Proposition 8 protest outside City Hall on Nov. 15 that drew an
estimated 1,200 people.
Zamboni, a Dallas representative for the national grassroots
organization Join the Impact, said JTI hasn't officially endorsed the
Cinemark protest. But Zamboni said she personally supports the protest
and plans to attend.
Luna said he's contacted the Plano Police Department and met with
management at the Legacy theater to inform them about the rally. He
also said he's contacted representatives from the Angelika Plano,
another theater where "Milk" is showing. Luna said he's hoping fliers
distributed to movie-goers at the rally will be good for free popcorn
or discounted tickets to see "Milk" at the Angelika.
James Meredith, a spokesman for Cinemark, didn't return a phone call
seeking comment on the rally this week. Last week, Meredith issued a
statement to Dallas Voice noting that the company itself didn't make a
contribution to either side in the Prop 8 fight, and saying it doesn't
take positions on issues that don't directly affect its business.
"It would be inappropriate to influence our employees' position on
personal issues outside the work environment, especially on political,
social or religious activities," the company said in the statement.
Joe Blair III, an openly gay consultant for Cinemark who serves as
facilitator for an LGBT business network in Collin County, declined
comment on the rally this week. Morris Garcia, president of the Collin
County Gay and Lesbian Alliance, a local LGBT equality group, didn't
return a phone call seeking comment.
While demonstrations already have been staged outside Cinemark-owned
theaters in cities including Chicago and Boulder, Colo., some in the
LGBT community fear the tactic could send a negative message and be
portrayed as an attack on Stock. Stock is a member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which marshaled tens of millions in
contributions from Mormons to Yes on 8.
As an alternative to protests, some LGBT groups are encouraging people
to see "Milk" at non-Cinemark-owned theaters the weekend of Dec. 5-7
in an effort to make it one of the top-grossing films at the box
office.
But for Luna, just going to see "Milk" at another theater isn't
enough. And despite his lack of experience, his filmmaking background
could give the protest a dramatic flair.
"I want drag queens there. I want trannies. I want all colors of the
rainbow," Luna said. "I want people to know that we're a gay group.
E-mail wright@dallasvoice.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 5, 2008.
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