This is great. HRC is huge - one of the biggest national GLBT rights organizations. When you see those little square blue bumper stickers with the yellow equal sign... that's HRC. They're a really impressive group because they've become so powerful... both in terms of private sector influence as well as political influence. One of the things they're most famous for (on a general awareness level) is they put out a buyer's guide (for all sorts of products in different categories) every year and rate companies based on GLBT friendliness and policies. I think they usually put it out around the holidays to have the most impact. I seem to recall that we had a thread about this past year's HRC buyer's guide in the Holiday forum.
Thank you for this information, Amanda!
It helped explain the background for the award Anne received to this clueless foreigner.
I loved her brief but lovely tribute to Heath and Ennis both. So perfect!
I have been away from the net and so avoided the whole
"Jake's missing eulogy" discussion - but I find after pondering a bit that I'll voice my opinion too.
My view comes very close to Amanda's, in fact. In my view, offering some public words of remembrance would have been the right, proper and respectful thing to do for Jake. I don't mistake Jake and Heath for Jack and Ennis. I am aware they are - or were
- living breathing humans, distinct from any roles they play (and it irks me that those who defend Jake's behaviour in this case often are seen indicating that those who critizise him are unable to make the real life/fiction distinction).
It doesn't matter whether they were still friends or had grown distant, it doesn't matter whether they'd had a huge falling-out, even. At the untimely death of the co-star in his most important and well-known film to date, Jake Gylllenhaal should IMO have offered some few appropriate words in public tribute. No matter the status of their current close relationship or lack thereof, there must be some good memories and words of praise Jake could find to offer - and he's an actor so whether in deep grief or not, he could surely manage to utter them with a sufficiently calm and solemn demeanour.
He's had ample opportunity to do so. I'm sure the magazine that printed the other friends and colleagues' memories about Heath did ask Jake for his - I bet he's had to specifically decline to comment on this any number of times by now. It is his right to do so and to keep silent, of course. He needs not say or do a thing that he doesn't want to. But personally I think that it would have been entirely proper and respectful of him to act otherwise in this instant.
My worry is that Jake is keeping so silent not because of his feelings for Heath, such as they may have been these days, but rather because he for whatever reason wishes to distance himself from Brokeback Mountain. His commenting on Heath's death or offering an euogy would necessarily lead to a lot of Brokeback images and references popping up again. I wonder if that's what he's trying to avoid. I hope I'm mistaken in this, because it can hardly make a steadfast Brokie happy to worry this might possibly be the case.
Topic: Heath Heath Heath (Read 3845950 times)