Mormon cinema owner bans Brokeback Mountain

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

A cinema in Utah has pulled out of screening the gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain.

The Jordan Commons Megaplex cinema in Salt Lake City is owner Larry Miller, a member of the anti-gay Mormon movement.

Brokeback Mountain’s distributor, Focus Features claims that Mr Miller “reneged on their licensing agreement” by not showing the critically acclaimed film.

“It’s just a shame that such a beautiful and award-winning film with so much buzz about it is not being made available to a broad Utah audience because of personal bias,” gay rights campaigner Mike Thompson told the Salt Lake Tribune.

Whilst the cinema’s owner could not be reached to comment, Gayle Ruzicka, of the right-wing Utah Eagle Forum said it was right not to show the film: “I just think (pulling the show) tells the young people especially that maybe there is something wrong with this show.”