right-wing group to stop selling tickets to high school play –
Laramie Project.
The Drama Club of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in MA is
performing the Laramie Project. It explores how the citizens of
Laramie, Wyoming, dealt with the aftermath of the 1998 murder and
hate crime of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Laramie.
Although the play recounts the events that took place on the night
of Shepard’s attack, the three-day vigil before he died, and the
trials of his assailants, it is not a re-enactment, but rather a
portrait of a small western town — and a snapshot of the culture
in the United States in 1998, including thoughts and views on
homosexuality, religion, class and education.
MassResistance, a MA statewide right-wing group, is pressuring a
local grocery store, Roche Brothers, to stop selling tickets to the
play because they feel like the play “demeans and demonizes
Christians and others with traditional moral values on
homosexuality…” The President & CEO explained that the
store always sells tickets to the high school’s plays and isn’t
in the business of censoring what its customers chose to buy and
while it appears they don’t like the content of the play, other
customers do support the play and its content. Therefore, and
continue to sell tickets to the play.
Cheers to the President & CEO, Ed Roche, for not cowering to
their homophobic bullying and standing by the local store’s
decision to continue selling the tickets to whomever wants to buy
them.
Make a phone call. Let Ed Roche know you support Roche Brothers
selling tickets to the Laramie Project – 781-235-9400 or call Jim
Myers, manager of the store – 978-263-0404 and say ‘thank
you’.
You can also send an email with your support on Roche Brothers’
feedback web page.
And if you live in the area…go see the play!