The Seattle Men's Chorus, which claims to be the largest gay men's chorus in the world, meant to get people thinking with their program "Scared Faithless: God and Gays in the 21st Century" but the topic has turned out to be more controversial than expected. Fliers for the performance included a picture of two anti-gay protesters carrying signs saying "God hates fags" and "You're going to hell." When local merchants (who had previously posted ads for the group's past performances) saw the fliers, many refused to display them, finding the words "fag" and "hell" offensive. Even members of the chorus paused at the image, worrying that displaying the posters would violate company policies.

Then again, the performance doesn't play things safe, either. The program, which means to explore the conflicted feelings gays have towards faith -- the comfort and healing faith can offer even as public dialogue makes them feel unwelcome in a church, temple or mosque. The performance will mix classical sacred music with songs meant to open a window into those conflicted emotions.

The mixed reactions to the fliers probably mirror the feeling the performance means to invoke in its audience. After all, people uncomfortable with the sight of anti-gay protesters would probably be similarly uncomfortable hearing a song titled "God Hates Fags." In some ways, I find the controversy comforting, considering how it was only a few months ago that we wondered if there was a double-standard in the reaction to an anti-gay slur, as opposed to the quick reactions to racial slurs. Maybe we're not ready to have a conversation about homophobia, but at least such openly anti-gay voices cause discomfort.

After the break, check out a promotional video for the performance. If you live in the Seattle area, "Scared Faithless" will be performed tonight and tomorrow night at McCaw Hall. You can find out more information at the chorus' website.