Dobbs Town
09-02-2005, 08:24
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/02/08/Arts/famous050208.html
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Group calls for boycott of Famous Players over same-sex ad
TORONTO - A group that opposes same-sex marriage is calling for a boycott of Famous Players because of an ad being shown in the chain's theatres.
The ad in question, which began running Feb. 1, is part of the slide show before each movie.
Lasting 10 seconds, it calls on theatre patrons to contact their member of Parliament to say they support the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"We are deeply saddened by Famous Players Theatres' decision to subject unsuspecting moviegoers to ads promoting same-sex marriage," Charles McVety, president of Calgary's Canada Family Action Coalition – which belongs to the Defend Marriage Coalition – said in a statement.
"It is a betrayal of the trust accorded to Famous Players by their viewing public, including parents who send their children to see a film."
Prime Minister Paul Martin has said that supporting same-sex marriage is an issue of defending the Charter.
McVety said the Defend Marriage Coalition is asking moviegoers to boycott Famous Players to show their feelings about the ad.
But Nuria Bronfman, an executive with Famous Players, said the ad is like any other that runs in theatres.
"We are a medium, an advertising medium, before our shows. That's what our screens are used for. So, like other media – newspapers, magazines, TV – the message doesn't necessarily reflect our point of view," she told the Canadian Press.
The ad was paid for by Salah Bachir, a leader in Toronto's gay community and the head of Famous Players Media, the independent company that sells advertising space in Famous Players theatres and on its screens.
Bachir bought the ad on behalf of Canadians For Equal Marriage, an organization that supports passing the legislation currently before Parliament.
"It's not a PSA [public service announcement] by any means," Bronfman said.
Bronfman said that McVety's group had asked for free equal time for its own message, but was turned down. She didn't know if it was now trying to buy an ad.
The Canada Family Action Coalition describes itself as a Bible-centred organization "with a vision to see Judeo-Christian moral principles restored in Canada."
The Defend Marriage Coalition also includes the Catholic Civil Rights League, Campaign Life Coalition and Real Women of Canada.
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Group calls for boycott of Famous Players over same-sex ad
TORONTO - A group that opposes same-sex marriage is calling for a boycott of Famous Players because of an ad being shown in the chain's theatres.
The ad in question, which began running Feb. 1, is part of the slide show before each movie.
Lasting 10 seconds, it calls on theatre patrons to contact their member of Parliament to say they support the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"We are deeply saddened by Famous Players Theatres' decision to subject unsuspecting moviegoers to ads promoting same-sex marriage," Charles McVety, president of Calgary's Canada Family Action Coalition – which belongs to the Defend Marriage Coalition – said in a statement.
"It is a betrayal of the trust accorded to Famous Players by their viewing public, including parents who send their children to see a film."
Prime Minister Paul Martin has said that supporting same-sex marriage is an issue of defending the Charter.
McVety said the Defend Marriage Coalition is asking moviegoers to boycott Famous Players to show their feelings about the ad.
But Nuria Bronfman, an executive with Famous Players, said the ad is like any other that runs in theatres.
"We are a medium, an advertising medium, before our shows. That's what our screens are used for. So, like other media – newspapers, magazines, TV – the message doesn't necessarily reflect our point of view," she told the Canadian Press.
The ad was paid for by Salah Bachir, a leader in Toronto's gay community and the head of Famous Players Media, the independent company that sells advertising space in Famous Players theatres and on its screens.
Bachir bought the ad on behalf of Canadians For Equal Marriage, an organization that supports passing the legislation currently before Parliament.
"It's not a PSA [public service announcement] by any means," Bronfman said.
Bronfman said that McVety's group had asked for free equal time for its own message, but was turned down. She didn't know if it was now trying to buy an ad.
The Canada Family Action Coalition describes itself as a Bible-centred organization "with a vision to see Judeo-Christian moral principles restored in Canada."
The Defend Marriage Coalition also includes the Catholic Civil Rights League, Campaign Life Coalition and Real Women of Canada.