Friday, August 31, 2007

Ira Represents the Rainbow Crowd

With apologies to the fine folks at Oregon Public Broadcasting...but how could they not see this coming?

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/08/ira_glass_popular_public_radio.html
Oregon Public Broadcasting plans to move an Oct. 7 appearance by Ira Glass, the voice of "This American Life," to the Oregon Convention Center after criticism about holding his talk at a Clackamas church that has been prominent in anti-gay rights campaigns.

(snip)

"When Ira found out, he asked for it to be moved," Barclay told The Oregonian. "He was not aware of it before that."

Admittedly, it's not like Ira Glass has been screaming supporter of gay rights in particular. But this is public radio, the bastion of tolerance. Plus, this sort of thing strikes me as completely in-character for Ira to do. And good for him, I might add.

I suppose the church might've been a better venue, and cheaper to rent, than the convention center. That might explain why it was tapped in the first place. But it's an interesting reminder of how inherently "charged" anything to do with religion is, and always will be.

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