More flak for Sacha Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen has offended a new group of people: America\'s gay rights lobby.

His new character, Burno, is a flamboyantly homosexual fashion journalist from Austria, whose outrageous behaviour is designed to highlight homophobia.

But the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation believe his ultra-camp behaviour and over-the-top outfits promotestereotypes.

The group’s senior director of media, Rashad Robinson, said: ‘Some people in our community may like this movie, but many are not going to be OK with it. Sacha Baron Cohen\'s well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others.’

Others fear the irony could go over the heads of cinema audiences, who may have their prejudices reinforced by the character, whose ill-fated attempts to be ‘cured’ of his homosexuality form the backbone of the film.

Pressure group Human Rights Campaign said the distributors should spell out what message cinema-goers should take away from the movie.

‘We strongly feel that Sacha Baron Cohen and Universal Pictures have a responsibility to remind the viewing public right there in the theatre that this is intended to expose homophobia,’ said a spokesman.

The studio has issued a statement stating that the film ‘uses provocative comedy to powerfully shed light on the absurdity of many kinds of intolerance and ignorance’ and said that Bruno had ‘unarguably positive intentions.’

Published: 14 Jun 2009