Movies and TV shows with gay characters could be ineligible for a "family-friendly"
tax credit in Florida under a little-noticed provision tucked into a $75
million incentive package that Republican House leaders hope will attract
film and entertainment jobs to the state.
The bill would prohibit productions with "nontraditional family values" from receiving a so-called family-friendly tax credit. But it doesn't define what "nontraditional family values" are, something the bill's sponsor had a hard time doing, too.
"Think of it as like Mayberry," state Rep. Stephen Precourt, R-Orlando, said, referring to The Andy Griffith Show. "That's when I grew up -- the '60s. That's what life was like. I want Florida to be known for making those kinds of movies: Disney movies for kids and all that stuff. Like it used to be, you know?"
But the head of a coalition of 80 groups that advocate for equal rights said Precourt's bill would "subsidize discrimination" and marginalize gay and single-parent families.
"Instituting 1950s-style movie censorship does nothing to support
real-life families or help Florida's struggling economy," said Ted
Howard, executive director for Florida Together.
Source: Michael C. Bender, Palm Beach Post
Comments |  RSS |
|
