Artistic Director Outed For Prop 8 Vote
 Tuesday, November 11th, 2008  by Connie T.

Public record can come back to bite you. Just ask Scott Eckern, the Artistic Director of the California Musical Theater. When Broadway's Hairspray co-creator Marc Shaiman found out that Eckern donated $1,000 to Yes on Proposition 8 in California, Shaiman sent out a mass e-mail asking people to contact Eckern (at his place of employment, no less) and "ask him why he thinks I (and maybe you) am less a person than he."

Shaiman explained that he called Eckern and was told that "it's not a personal thing," that Eckern voted (and donated) that way because of his belief regarding the "protection of marriage."

Eckern attended the Brigham Young University, so it's safe to assume he has ties to the Mormon culture, and his religious beliefs may prohibit him from accepting same-sex unions.

"We have GOT to stop sitting back and accepting this bigotry, particularly from people in our own field," Shaiman wrote in the e-mail. "No more apathy!"

But check up on the definition of bigotry, and you'll find: stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. And Eckern's obviously following his creed, which contains beliefs and opinions different from Shaiman's. Whether or not you agree with Prop 8 - don't Shaiman's own actions than exemplify bigotry?

It's really sad to see one individual called out and exploited for his donation when the majority of Californians voted in favor of Prop 8's amendment to the Constitution. One man certainly can't be blamed for that.

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