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Ellen Page and Julianne Moore's gay drama banned from shooting at Catholic school

Salesian High School had reportedly allowed the location scout to shoot scenes on its grounds before knowing the subject matter of the film.

By Veronica Linares
Ellen Page. UPI/Dennis Van Tine
1 of 4 | Ellen Page. UPI/Dennis Van Tine | License Photo

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- The film crew from the upcoming gay drama Freeheld was barred from shooting scenes at a Catholic high school in New Rochelle, N.Y. after the school's principal found out about the movie's subject matter.

Freeheld stars Ellen Page and Julianne Moore as a gay couple fighting to secure pension benefits after one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The film's producer, Michael Shamberg, told Buzzfeed that the all-boys Salesian school had originally given permission to the film's scout to shoot a scene on its grounds, but once the news reached school officials they were barred from carrying on with the shoot.

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Shamberg said that while he "[respects] their right to say no," the situation is "sad."

"They turned us down because of the subject matter," he told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that the school has lent its ground to music videos and television commercials in the past.

Actress Ellen Page, who came out as lesbian with a powerful speech in February, took to Twitter on Tuesday to seemingly slam the school for "using religion to justify bigotry."

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When asked for the school's official reasons for not allowing the LGBT drama to film on its campus, principal John Flaherty told Buzzfeed in an email that, "all are welcomed at Salesian High School."

"Our School chooses to embrace the social issues such as hunger, homelessness, poverty, and helping the less fortunate," he added.

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