Controversy Continues Over National Portrait Gallery's Removal of Offending Video

Controversy continues (New York Times Op Ed 12/11) over the action two weeks ago by the National Portrait Gallery which removed a four minute video by the late artist David Wojnarowicz from an exhibit on sexual difference in American portraiture. The Dec. 1 Washington Post reported that the video titled A Fire in My Belly was removed from the Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture exhibit after strong protests from Catholic League president William Donahue and the office of incoming House Speaker John Boehner over a portrayal in it of a small crucifix covered with ants.  Donahue called it "hate speech." Last Thursday, the Washington Post reported that James T. Bartlett, a member of the Museum's advisory panel, resigned over the decision to remove the video. A Q and A Release on the controversy posted on the Smithsonian's website last week says the action was taken "help focus attention on the central theme of the exhibition, which is portraiture and the representation of gay and lesbian identities in American art." Now Museum officials have been meeting with concerned staff.  According to the Washington Post: "Because the objections on Capitol Hill came initially from two powerful Republicans, John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and the Congress controls 70 percent of the Smithsonian's budget, employees said they feared to go public with their viewpoints."