Texas school
keeps gay-themed short story

A private school in Austin has chosen conscience over cash, declining a $3 million donation rather than cutting a gay-themed short story from the English curriculum. St. Andrew's Episcopal School English teacher Kimberly Horne has included the short story "Brokeback Mountain" as optional reading in her high school class for several years. Written by Annie Proulx, the gay cowboy love story caught the attention of parents Cary and Kate McNair earlier this year. Cary McNair is the son of oil magnate Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans pro football team. The Austin American-Statesman reports that the McNairs met with school authorities in May, along with fellow parents golfer Ben Crenshaw and his wife, Julie. The foursome objected to the fact that St. Andrew's participates in a national day of observance called Day of Silence, an annual event that seeks to address antigay discrimination on school campuses, and they also were unhappy with the gay-themed short story. The American-Statesman reports that in August, after the school refused to remove "Brokeback Mountain" from the assignment list, the McNairs pulled a $3 million pledge. Ironically, the short story will not be taught this year because Horne does not teach material that has been turned into a motion picture. The movie version of "Brokeback Mountain" is scheduled for December release. (Sirius OutQ News)