Group threatens to sue over Indiana college's plans to stage gay-Christ play

By The Associated Press

06.06.01

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Nine people who contend a campus play mocks their religious beliefs are threatening to sue Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne to stop the school from staging it.

Attorney John R. Price said yesterday he has sent Purdue University President Martin Jischke a draft of a proposed lawsuit and will file it July 5 unless performances of "Corpus Christi," scheduled for Aug. 10-11, are canceled.

Critics have targeted the play for its portrayal of a gay Christ-like figure.

"The play is a full-blown, unmitigated attack on orthodox theology of Christianity," Price said. "The government should not be in the business of promoting this sort of a scurrilous, negative attack on religious beliefs."

Price contends allowing the play to be performed at a state-supported university violates the First Amendment's provisions for separation of church and state.

Joseph Bennett, Purdue's vice president for university relations, said the school does not plan to stop the play.

"This is an issue of academic freedom. The university would not take action to prevent it," Bennett said. "One of the fundamental things that a university does is permit and create an environment for the debate of ideas."

Steven Smith, a University of Notre Dame law professor who specializes in religious-freedom cases, said the Fort Wayne group would have a hard time winning their case.

"The question would be whether putting on a play at a university is likely to be seen as the government endorsing the message of the play. To me that's kind of a tough one," he said. "I'm sort of sympathetic to their concern, but that's a tough one because universities typically put on all sorts of things."

"Corpus Christi," written by acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally, chronicles a Christ-like character named Joshua in modern-day Texas. The story parallels parts of the Gospels.

The lawsuit contends the play portrays Jesus and his disciples as being homosexuals and suggests certain aspects of Jesus' story are witchcraft.

Larry Life, chairman and artistic director of the university's theater department, said most of the criticisms about the play are taken out of context.

"It's not attacking Christians," said Life, who is Roman Catholic. "It is preaching understanding and tolerance of one another."

Last month, six Republican state Senate members from the Fort Wayne area condemned the play, saying some constituents had urged them to eliminate funding for the university's theater productions.

Update

Group sues to block gay-themed play at Indiana college
Plaintiffs, including 21 state lawmakers, claim taxpayer money shouldn’t be used to subsidize public university’s production because it attacks religion.  07.05.01