Brokeback Mountain Breeds Trouble for Teacher

Pictures don’t just say a thousand words. They can say and reach millions. That’s exactly what scenes from Brokeback Mountain did. A Boone County (Ky.) High School cinematography teacher hoped to teach his or her students how Ang Lee created the Oscar-worthy masterpiece.

He or she showed more than two minutes of the film – including no sexual content – to a senior cinematography class. So, the class presumably consisted of students age 17 or older. According to WKYT Channel 27, parents were upset any part of the film was shown.

So, let me get this straight (yes, the pun was definitely intended). Young people are old enough to drafted and go off to their deaths, but watching be a few snippets of a “gay” movie would irreparably damage them. OK, I get it.

The reaction is far from logical. But, then, homophobia isn’t. Despite what those parents thought, watching a gay movie doesn’t make you gay. If that were the case, I should be as straight as Archie Bunker.

I grew up attending a church led by a man more conservative than Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. We weren’t allowed to see movies. Some of my friends didn’t even watch television. The church’s powers-that-be are surprisingly like the “concerned parents” lodging their complaints.

Speaking of concerned parents, it’s interesting to note when they seem to come out of the woodwork. Many American students have documented low test scores, drug use and behavior problems. And many of their parents don’t seem very concerned about that. But students – nearing or at the age of consent – see 150 seconds of Brokeback Mountain and they go into crisis mode. Give me a break.