Outrage opened last Friday at the Landmark-Hillcrest theaters and runs through at least Thursday...let’s hope longer. This striking documentary takes on a very troubling and controversial issue: “the closet” on Capitol Hill.

Its laser focuses on several suspected and known closeted officials who are also anti-gay in their politics. Those who spent, or are spending, their careers and immense resources to deprive the GLBT community of basic civil rights afforded to every other minority in the land. The director deftly displays the voting records of each subject during the outing process. Heroic are the public statements of the former governor of New Jersey, who finally confronts and admits his prior duplicitous lifestyle before his wife, God and country. Same for former Arizona Congressmember Jim Kolbe. Troubling is the current governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, who denies he is gay while simultaneously working against gay rights. Former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig and former N.Y. Mayor Ed Koch have yet to assert their sexual orientation and to explain their political disregard for the gay community. Equally troubling is the former chair of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, whom Bill Maher outed on Larry King’s show. Mehlman was a key operative working to attack marriage equality while working with former President G.W. Bush and his former advisor Karl Rove.

The director, Kirby Dick, was careful to “out” politicians and politicos who had been identified as gay through verified sources working with noted blogger, Michael Rogers of www.blogactive.com. When the press grills the outed ones, you watch them wriggle and squirm. You see a Florida governor, a former U.S. senator, past and present Congress members, a former national chair of a political party and many Capitol Hill staffers, operatives, strategists in the closet attacking anything gay. It’s bad enough dealing with the bigotry of straight politicians; but factor in the closet cases and you have major insight into homophobia. The self-loathing knife cuts deepest of all, especially if one is in a position of political power and influence.

One weakness in the film is the music. At times, one hopes for more compelling and dramatic sound to match the major bullet points, particularly the posting of the anti-gay voting records. It would have been nice to see statistics about crimes against the gay community and the issues gay youth must confront regarding bashing, depression, victimization, bullying and teen suicides, despite the national polls indicating greater acceptance of gays and lesbians. There also should have been some information about gays in the military and allowing everyone to openly serve.

Nevertheless, Outrage is a must see and offers a well-focused look at our recent social history and political landscape. It is a critically important piece of historical documentation. In the shadow of Stonewall, wasn’t it curious that Presidents Carter and Ford were fairly similar on gay rights issues? Then, with Reagan and Bush I in 1981, federal attitudes and policies cranked up the homophobia. AIDS became a global issue and Reagan refused to utter the word publicly until the mid- to late ’80s. Then, certain influential sectors of the evangelical leadership fired up their homophobic political machine and worked their way into the radical wing of the GOP. Of course, religion has been a major source of homophobia through the ages, all the while preaching love and acceptance. Are we starting to see a pattern?

Outrage should inspire more to get involved in various groups and organizations dedicated to expanding basic civil rights. The film should help create a new generation of truly compassionate and visionary politicians who have no issues with sexual orientation. We hope new leaders will supplant the many personally dishonest closet cases now serving on Capitol Hill and in or near other seats of political power. Outrage is particularly important viewing for anyone under 40 to detail the history and hypocrisy that have been a scourge for far too long. One defined our national capitol as “more gay than San Francisco.” Another telling quote stated that “you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a gay staffer on Capitol Hill.”

And if you think there still aren’t major issues about the closet and Capitol Hill…consider this: The movie review by the Union-Tribune took issue with the premise and message of Outrage – go figure. The San Diego Reader, with its very Catholic publisher, gave it a negative review. Other than National Public Radio, the opening of Outrage has been largely ignored by the mass media – another disturbing symptom of the problem and another cause for outrage.

Outrage hits upon some nerve endings, which is a good thing. J. Edgar Hoover and Roy Cohn must be rolling over in their graves.

Hillcrest Cinemas at the Village Hillcrest

3965 5th Ave.

San Diego, CA 92103

619-819-0236

Outrage showtimes:

4:45 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.