Brokeback is back!
Inside Liberty Watch Today - Feb. 13, 2006

What makes a good Republican? According to my fellow Liberty Watch columnist Doug French, a bi-sexual, adulterous cowboy makes a better Republican than I do. Free speech is likely to evoke criticism, but Doug French's recent criticism on Jan. 31 of my January column on Brokeback Mountain caught me by surprise. 

First of all, Mr. French seems to believe that only Hollywood awards determine the greatness of a movie. I beg to differ. Hollywood rewards movies primarily based on politics. Even the few people who still watch the Oscars know that. May I remind you that the Passion of the Christ has now earned over $600 million dollars worldwide, yet was not even nominated for Best Picture the year it was eligible. I don't necessarily believe The Passion was the Best Picture of 2004, but for the Academy to have omitted the highest grossing film in 2004 from that category clearly revealed the Academy's bias. 

Yes, I did find Brokeback boring, and as I mentioned, the people I saw it with felt the same way. Mr. French accuses me of "pretending to know what the rest of the theater was thinking." I guess he assumed I saw the movie in a large theater. I should have been more specific. One of the perks of my occupation is that I get to attend private screenings, as was the case with Brokeback. I attended a very small private screening with people I know personally, and we all talked about it afterward. As I mentioned in my column, several of them were of the liberal persuasion, and they were also bored. Obviously, many people have since enjoyed the movie, but I was sharing my personal experience. 

I'm amazed that a self-proclaimed conservative like Doug French can defend adulterous behavior by anyone, and criticize me for not "understanding." If you're gay, I could care less. I don't bash gays publicly or privately. No one, gay or straight, has a right to hurt other people. Period. 

I suggested in my column that the two cowboys could have lived in the mountains by themselves if they had wanted to, but Mr. French says that "wasn't an option" in the 60's." Of course it was. Many gay people lived monogamous gay lives in the 60's, all over the world. I realize two men couldn't have walked down the streets of Cheyenne, Wyoming holding hands in the 1960's, but last time I checked, they still can't. 

Lack of public acceptance of the gay lifestyle does not give you license to hurt the women you've made vows to. The two situations have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Yes, Mr. French, gays can be together monogamously. What it takes is something the Brokeback duo didn't have - the courage to be who they were, right or wrong.

According to Doug French, I'm implying that "homosexuals are incapable of love." Just because I found the pup tent scene a little raw? Does Doug French know more about gays than I do? Do they all do it that way? With no conversation or tenderness? I realize men are not women, and I didn't expect them to cuddle up and talk about their feelings afterwards, but that didn't look like love to me. 

I'm also flabbergasted that Mr. French claims it's "anti-human to expect someone to live unhappily ever after" in marriage. A very Republican stance. I'll be sure and pass that on to anyone who takes vows, Doug. Does that mean you're advocating adultery for anyone who's "unhappily" married, or just bi-sexual people? I do consider it "anti-human" to take vows you never intend to keep. 

By defending the "same time, next year" behavior of the cowboys, Doug French apparently assumes gay people aren't capable of monogamy. If that were true, why would they want the right to get married? To cheat on their same sex spouse with another of the same sex? And risk losing half your assets? 

Shouldn't the rules of decent behavior apply to all people? In contrast to Doug French, I believe that gay people are just like the rest of us; some good, some bad. Most gay people just live their lives without purposely hurting others. I personally know a gay couple who have been together for 30 years! They're not hurting anyone, and they're not lying to anyone. 

If moviegoers enjoy Brokeback Mountain for the acting, the story, the cinematography, or for any other reason, great! God Bless America. In a free country, we're all entitled to our opinions, but standards of right and wrong should never vary. I just never thought I'd see the day when a Republican would disagree with another over the issue of adultery.

Heidi Harris, Liberty Watch Columnist