some southerners need killin'

[Blank Frank]

State funding makes this a censorship case; religion makes it a freedom
of- case too.


Mar 30, 2001 - 07:37 AM

               Florida University Under Fire for Play With
               Gay Christ Character
               The Associated Press

               BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - Several state lawmakers
threatened to
               cut state funding of Florida Atlantic University programs
because
               its theater department is staging a play featuring a gay
Christ
               character.

               Corpus Christi, which opened Wednesday at FAU, chronicles
a
               Christlike character named Joshua who is growing up gay
in
               modern-day Texas. The story parallels parts of the
Gospels.

               A kiss between Joshua and a character named Judas is
similar to
               the kiss the biblical Judas used to identify Jesus to the
Romans.

               "For anyone who's a Christian, it's very offensive," said
state Sen.
               Debby Sanderson, whose district includes Florida
Atlantic.

               School officials said they would allow the play to finish
this
               weekend's run.

               "It's a matter of academic freedom," university
spokeswoman Lynn
               Laurenti said. She said top administrators did not know
of the
               play's content until this week.

               Sanderson and other senators said Thursday they would
read the
               play and then decide what action, if any, to take. Last
year, the
               school received $112 million from the state.

               Corpus Christi, written by Terrence McNally, debuted on
Broadway
               in 1998. It was met with fierce protests from Roman
Catholic
               groups.