The quantity of anti-Sundance vitriol posted recently in the comments fields of my favorite queer and indie film Web sites has been daunting.

Of course we're all pissed off at the Yes on 8 supporters and I certainly understand the idea of expressing political power via a boycott. But the idea of boycotting Sundance is simply misguided and ill conceived. Sundance has done more to champion LGBT cinema than any other non-gay festival. And in certain ways it has done more than the gay festivals – by serving as the launching pad into the mainstream for everything from The Times of Harvey Milk to Desert Hearts, from High Art to Hedwig.

Yes, the festival takes place in Utah. What better place to be to engage in dialogue? And of course I am angry with Cinemark CEO Alan Stock for donating $9,999 to the Yes on 8 campaign. But I also feel strongly that companies are not responsible for the private actions or political perspectives of their employees. It is unfortunate that Cinemark owns one of Sundance's main venues, the Holiday Village Cinema. But I applaud Sundance's compromise solution: Any films shown at Holiday Village will also be shown at another venue so people can choose to see them elsewhere.

I also think that Sundance has made its own political statement programmatically by pairing my little gay short film, 575 Castro St. with a documentary that is all about the First Amendment (Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech). For better or worse, I do believe in the First Amendment and Stock's right to give his money to whomever he chooses.

The most important thing is the continuing dialogue (boycotts and all) about our civil rights. Of course Cinemark should not fire Stock for his political beliefs; and the gays are also fully entitled to express their opinion of Stock's homophobia by boycotting the theater chain he runs. We all get to express ourselves. As long as nobody goes shouting "Fire!"

I do find myself thinking: What would Harvey say? What would Harvey do? And the answer is right there in the archival audio of my film (where he talks about what he would want to happen if he were assassinated):

"You cannot prevent some people from getting angry and frustrated and mad. But I hope they would take that anger and frustration and madness and instead of demonstrating or anything of that type, I would hope they would take it to positive. And I would hope five, ten, a hundred thousand would rise. I'd love to see every gay doctor come out, I'd love to see every gay lawyer, every gay judge, every gay bureaucrat, every gay architect. Come out. Stand up. Let the world know. And that would do more to end prejudice, overnight, than anybody could ever imagine. I urge them to do that. Urge them. Come out. It's only that way will we ever start to achieve our rights."

Coming out in this post-Proposition 8 era means we all need to come out and keep coming out to people in our families, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, places of worship, and everywhere we go. We need to engage in thoughtful dialogue with our fellow citizens, and especially people we find in our lives who may have voted for Prop 8. It takes millions of these conversations to make lasting change. Rather than shouting at the Yes on 8 voters let's just try talking to them.

I have no doubt that we will eventually prevail and achieve our full civil rights.

If others want to put their energy into boycotts to express their political will they are welcome to do so. But I want to put my energy into what I think will bring more productive dialogue – and target people and institutions whose minds I can possibly help change.

Jamar Osborne's wonderful Guest Opinion piece in last week's Bay Area Reporter should be required reading for everyone. Let's evangelize this message to our potential allies: "The fact that California's ban on same-sex marriage came from a vote of the people adds neither to its credibility nor its legitimacy. It is completely un-American for people to randomly target a class of people, form mobs, and then raise millions of dollars to disenfranchise that particular group."

Let's help our fellow Californians who voted Yes on 8 understand exactly why domestic partnership is an unfair and inadequate substitution for full marriage equality. In the midst of the rhetoric (both ours and theirs) I think there were many potential allies who can now be brought around by forthright and thoughtful articulation of our argument.

So, I'm off to Park City – to show my movie, find and come out to my long lost Mormon cousins (seriously), and spread my peace-love-dialogue message to the indie film industry!

Jenni Olson's short film, 575 Castro St. will have its festival world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The film's visual backdrop is the empty Castro Camera Store set for Gus Van Sant's film Milk. The audio track is Harvey Milk's original tape that he made, "to be played in the event of my death by assassination." The film is also available for viewing online at: 575CastroStreet.blogspot.com/.