Christian Protestors at Gay Pride events

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Given the recent ruling on free speech and buffer zones, I've noticed a bit of a ramp-up in Christian protestors who seem fine with bringing their battle to gay events.


A few weeks ago, at the Folsom East Street Fair in New York, someone protesting with a sign from the Highline Park (see photo below). The sign read "Jesus Saves from Hell." Usually such protests aren't allowed from the vantage point of New York City parks, and if you're blocking pedestrian traffic, the NYPD has no reluctance telling someone to move, which is what happened here I believe, this person was gone after an hour.



The protestor was heckled a bit by some MCs on the stage, but nothing major happened. I was more surprised the protestor knew about Folsom East, and its location. While it's no secret, it's mostly advertised in gay publications in New York and word of mouth. But I Googled around and lo and behold, I found a website encouraging protests with an article "NYC Folsom Street Homosexual Perversion". In an effort to manipulate the city from granting a permit, the website suggests the street fair has hundreds of nude men (LOL I WISH!) and public sex. It doesn't.


Meanwhile in Seattle: On Sunday a group of Christian protesters disrupted the start of Seattle's gay pride parade and got in the face of local drag star Mama Tits, who was not having it. The drag queens formed a wall and blocked the protestors. The protestors may have a right to free speech, but don't expect some push-back either and a dose of their own medicine.

Comments

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Hey, maybe they'll inadvertently do something good:

At this point in history, being a public asshole to gays is more likely to drive would be supporters AWAY from the fundy cause, and maybe they'll successfully challenge New York's hideously restrictive regulations on public protests.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yeah that Seattle protest would never have been allowed to get that close to the start of the parade here in NYC. I was at the start of the this years parade's, the organizing area was near 36th and 5th Avenue, there were police everywhere. In year's past marches, I've only noticed two groups of protestors: a bunch of Orthodox Jewish men near the NYPL, and then another group protestors barricaded around St. Patrick's Cathedral. St. Patrick's was completely blocked to any pedestrian traffic. Doors shut tight, with lots of NYPD and guards from the Cathedral keeping watch.

For a complete contrast to that: a few blocks down the parade route, two churches are serving cups of cold water to both marchers and people along the sidewalk. By the way, one of these churches, Marble Collegiate Church has a memorial for those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, with a yellow ribbon for US military killed with their name and age. As the sign in front of the memorial states: "Blue ribbons represent our prayers for the tens of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis who have lost their lives, for their families and friends, and for all who have been wounded. The toll of human pain and suffering is impossible to measure." I took a photo of the memorial below:

[moonshaz.livejournal.com]

Marble Collegiate (http://www.marblechurch.org/) sounds like a pretty damned cool church!

They actually have a gallery of photos from Pride 2014 on their website. It's the second link on this page (http://www.marblechurch.org/welcome/photos/#/18/pride-2014).

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Seattle, most literate city in America, has some serious crazy religious people: Worst Guy Ever Alert: Beware of Horrible Hipster Pastor Mark Driscoll (http://jezebel.com/worst-guy-ever-alert-beware-of-horrible-hipster-pastor-1477472909)

[telemann.livejournal.com]

My hunch (and that's all it is) there is a significant fundamentalist influx coming into Seattle from Alaska now.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Vancouver, BC had a fundamentalist problem too. They were out in the Frasier Valley. We used to joke that they drew all the air pollution out of Vancouver because the air quality was always lower there than in the city.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

That guy is the most vocal cult-of-personality douches we have. The Stranger has lots of good articles about the shit he has pulled.

People mostly ignore him.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Is that Westboro Church still in business? They might consider the Court decision to be liberation day, and will now protest at funerals from atop the graves.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yes, they're still very busy. (http://www.godhatesfags.com/) See their press release section.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Maybe they no longer need to bother about
"respectful lawful proximity"?

[moonshaz.livejournal.com]

"respectful lawful proximity"

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I suppose it is meant ironically,
even mockingly perhaps,
but most likely just carelessly.