Part of the enduring appeal of westerns is the display of brotherhood, unhindered by sexualisation. You often hear the phrase 'to be a straight-shooter'. That means to speak plain truths and walk easily amid the natural bonds of affection, without the distraction of misplaced sexual urges. In other words, the audience can relax. Their hero is not going to get weird on them. The western was a morality tale, so to make immorality the heart of this western is to violate the code of westerns. That's why it's not going to work. I think Ang Lee is off his rocker if he thinks he can have the same commercial success with two cowboys instead of a cowboy and a cowgirl, as other movies do.
Robert Knight, Brokeback Mountain, director of the Culture and Family Institute of Concerned Women of America

From this article: http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1675408,00.html

via Geoff