''Outrage'' is a 2009 American
documentary film written and directed by
Kirby Dick
Kirby Bryan Dick (born August 23, 1952) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing documentary films. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature for directing ''Twist of Fait ...
. The film presents a narrative discussing the
hypocrisy of people purported in the documentary to be
closeted gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
or
bisexual politicians who promote
anti-gay legislation. It premiered at the 2009
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...
before being released theatrically on May 8, 2009. It was nominated for a 2010 Emmy Award, and won Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival's jury award for best documentary. The documentary's prime subject was Michael Rogers, founder of BlogActive.com.
Synopsis
Overview
''Outrage'' argues that several American political figures have led closeted gay lives while supporting and endorsing legislation that is harmful to the
gay community
The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and ...
. The film examines the
mass media
Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets.
Broadcast media transmit informati ...
's reluctance to discuss issues involving gay politicians despite many comparable news stories about heterosexual politicians and scandals. ''Outrage'' describes this behavior as a form of
institutionalized homophobia that has resulted in a tacit policy of self-censorship when reporting on these issues. The film is based on the work of blogger
Michael Rogers and his site blogactive.com.
[
]
Subjects
Among other subjects, the film includes:
* Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...
, Democratic Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989,[ was a lifelong bachelor, dogged by "endless gay rumors", who publicly denied being gay.] Although his record on LGBT issues is generally positive, he is blamed for treating the emerging AIDS pandemic
The global epidemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2021, HIV ...
in the gay community reluctantly, unlike the health crises he handled in other situations. New York and San Francisco were the main epicenters of AIDS in the early 1980s. Critics, most notably Larry Kramer
Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...
, believe Koch handled the AIDS crisis poorly because he was closeted.
* Ken Mehlman
Kenneth Brian Mehlman (born August 21, 1966) is an American social entrepreneur and businessman. He serves as a member, global head of public affairs, and co-head of KKR global impact at investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. He oversees the fir ...
, the former Republican national chairman, was named in the film as a closeted homosexual though he was against policies friendly to gays.[ Mehlman publicly came out in 2010.
* ]Larry Craig
Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, repres ...
, former Republican politician and Senator from Idaho. In 2007, Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport , also less commonly known as Wold-Chamberlain Field, is a joint civil-military public-use international airport located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, Minnesota, United States. Although ...
on suspicion of lewd conduct in a men's restroom, where he was accused of soliciting an undercover police officer for sexual activity. Craig pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct by signing and mailing a plea petition. He paid $575, including fines Fines may refer to:
* Fines, Andalusia, Spanish municipality
* Fine (penalty)
* Fine, a dated term for a premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term
*Fines, ore or other products with a s ...
and fees.[ Note: In order to access the records, search by name or case number in the Criminal/Traffic/Petty Case Records database.]
Interviews
People interviewed in ''Outrage'' include:
Openly gay politicians
* Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin St ...
, former Congresswoman of Wisconsin, now Senator[
* ]Barney Frank
Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a former American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democrat, Frank served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committ ...
, former Congressman from Massachusetts
* David Catania, District of Columbia Council member
* Neil Giuliano
Neil G. Giuliano (born October 26, 1956) is an American politician who served as mayor of Tempe, Arizona for four terms, from 1994 to 2004 (Three two-year terms and one four-year term). After serving in elected office he served as president of the ...
, former Mayor of Tempe, Arizona
* Jim Kolbe
James Thomas Kolbe (June 28, 1942 – December 3, 2022) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Arizona's 5th congressional district from 1985 to 2003 and its 8 ...
, former Congressman from Arizona
* James McGreevey, former Governor of New Jersey[
]
Others
* Wayne Barrett
Wayne Barrett (July 11, 1945 – January 19, 2017) was an American journalist. He worked as an investigative reporter and senior editor for ''The Village Voice'' for 37 years, until he was laid off in 2011.
Early life and education
Barre ...
, investigative reporter and senior editor for the ''Village Voice''[
* Elizabeth Birch, former Executive Director of Human Rights Campaign][
* Kirk Fordham, former chief of staff to US Congressman Mark Foley][
* Patrick Guerriero, former Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans
* Dan Gurley, former Field Director of Republican National Committee]
* Jim Hormel, former US Ambassador to Luxembourg[
* ]Larry Kramer
Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...
, founder of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power[ This NPR piece is reported to have previously included the byline of Nathan Lee, and to have listed Charlie Crist. Megan Slack (May 29, 2009)]
"'Outrage' Documentary: Activists Outing Gay Conservatives
''Huffington Post''.
* Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
, playwright of ''Angels in America''[
* ]Rodger McFarlane
Rodger Allen McFarlane (February 25, 1955 – May 15, 2009) was an American gay rights activist who served as the first paid executive director of the Gay Men's Health Crisis and later served in leadership positions with Broadway Cares/Equity Fight ...
, former Executive Director of Gay Men's Health Crisis
* Kevin Naff, Editor at ''The Washington Blade''[
* Michael Rogers, founder of ''Blogactive''][
* Hilary Rosen, Democratic lobbyist][
* ]Michelangelo Signorile
Michelangelo Signorile (; born December 19, 1960) is an American journalist, author and talk radio host. His radio program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada on Sirius XM Radio and globally online. Signorile was editor- ...
, radio host[
* Andrew Sullivan, columnist for ''The Atlantic''][
* Rich Tafel, former Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans][
]
Awards and nominations
Reception
Film critics responded, for the most part, with positive reviews. Scott Foundas of ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' praised ''Outrage'' for its "well-honed arguments, sound sourcing, and journalistic boldness", and the ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
's'' Jonathan Curiel described it as "essential viewing". '' Variety's'' John Anderson wrote that the film "is operating from a position of righteous indignation, and that indignation is infectious", while criticizing the film's lack of evidence in making certain arguments. Critic Armond White
Armond White (born ) is an American film and music critic who writes for ''National Review'' and ''Out''. He was previously the editor of '' CityArts'' (2011–2014), the lead film critic for the alternative weekly ''New York Press'' (1997–201 ...
disliked the film, calling it "no more serious than the spiteful gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.
Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...
y clown Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. (born March 23, 1978), known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality. His blog is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities, and for posting tabloid ph ...
", and writing that the decision to only out conservatives "influences ideological separatism, encouraging the idea of elite gay privilege".
In an interview with ''New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'', Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...
denounced the film and claimed that it mischaracterized his record on gay issues. He did not respond to the film's assertions that he had failed to adequately respond to New York City's AIDS epidemic, or to the film's assertions that he had had a boyfriend whom he had pressured to leave New York and remain silent about their relationship.
Controversies
Naming
While some journalists named the political figures discussed in the film, other prominent news organizations, such as ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, and NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, did not report names. Dick questioned this reluctance, saying, "The press often reports on things that are very painful to the subjects they are writing about. loseted gay politiciansare public officials; this is reporting on hypocrisy, and there is an obligation on the press to write about it."
NPR review
In a review for NPR,[ film critic Nathan Lee named ''Outrage's'' primary subjects. NPR altered Lee's review by removing these references.] Lee responded in a comment on NPR's website:
NPR deleted this comment as well. An NPR editor later explained these actions, noting that, "NPR has a long-held policy of trying to respect the privacy of public figures and of not airing or publishing rumors, allegations and reports about their private lives unless there is a compelling reason to do so." This statement drew immediate criticism, as NPR had previously speculated on the sexual orientation of public figures such as Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...
and Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
. This led to questions about why closeted entertainers presented a "compelling reason" for reporting while closeted politicians did not.
GLAAD Media Awards
''Outrage'' did not receive a nomination for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's 21st GLAAD Media Awards
The 21st GLAAD Media Awards was the 2010 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accur ...
. Some journalists wrote that this decision must have been a deliberate snub because ''Outrage'' had been one of 2009's most prominent LGBT films. GLAAD responded to the criticism by arguing that ''Outrage'' "doesn't promote awareness, understanding and respect for LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
lives and thus does not fit the criteria for the GLAAD Media Awards". Dick said that he was troubled by GLAAD's apparent stance against reporting on closeted anti-gay politicians, noting that "by taking this position, GLAAD is playing into the same philosophy that has kept the closet in place in politics for decades and has caused so much damage".
See also
* List of federal political sex scandals in the United States
Many sex scandals in American history have involved incumbent United States federal elected politicians, as well as persons appointed with the consent of the United States Senate. Sometimes, the officials have denied the accusations, have apologize ...
* Outing
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Interview with film director
Kirby Dick
Kirby Bryan Dick (born August 23, 1952) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing documentary films. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature for directing ''Twist of Fait ...
at Salon.com
''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/ liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events.
Content and coverage
''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...
{{Authority control
2009 documentary films
2009 films
American LGBT-related films
American documentary films
Documentary films about American politicians
Documentary films about LGBT topics
LGBT politics in the United States
LGBT-related political films
Films directed by Kirby Dick
2009 LGBT-related films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films