Rich Ross, appointed this week as the new head of Disney Studios, has become the first openly gay studio chief in Hollywood history, the Los Angeles Times observed today (Wednesday). In an interview with Times columnist Patrick Goldstein, producer Howard Rosenman who is also openly gay, said, "It's not just the first time ever, but it's the greatest thing ever. ... It's a new era in Hollywood. Rich Ross will only be judged by how well he makes the product and and how commercial it is, not who he is in his private life. He's obviously already been a big success at the Disney Channel, so he clearly knows what he's doing." The disclosure is likely to infuriate followers of the Rev. Don Wildmon, whose American Family Association led a decade-long boycott of all things Disney for what it called "promoting the gay agenda." (The AFA ended the boycott following the resignation of Disney Chairman/CEO Michael Eisner in 2005.) On the other hand, many of the programs that Ross was responsible for bringing to the Disney Channel ( Hannah Montana, High School Musical, The Jonas Brothers ) have been praised by the AFA and other conservative Christian groups for promoting family values.

07/10/2009