Twin Cities Pride May Press Free Speech Fight

A more effective protest might be to hand out tracts to churchgoers that give them the pro-gay interpretation of the so-called Clobber Verses in the Bible. Not many Christians know that Sodom was destroyed for its rude treatment of strangers and the poor. Many other Old Testament verses after Genesis make that clear. None of the Old Testament prophets scorned Sodom for its alleged homosexuality. And of course Jesus never talked about same-sex love. He was more concerned about heterosexual couples breaking their marital vows.

i think TC Pride should think carefully what they're doing. there is great value in having Pride in a public park, open to everyone. to move to 'closed doors' reminds me of LGBT people going back into the closet. not good. maybe there should be massive kiss-ins around these preachers. wouldn't that be a more positive way of responding? i think staying out in the open is best. closets are bad. TC pride should find a way of working with the City and Park on this. i think the City of Mpls needs a pride that's open and invigorating. that aspect can be leveraged.

The attention the Twin Cities Pride Festival (TCPF) has given Brian Johnson by its refusal of a permit last year, his arrest, and the court case cost Johnson little to nothing. What it has done is make the TCPF sponsors look petty, and small-minded; while making a martyr of Johnson. Did Johnson ever disrupt the festival in the eight years he was permitted to participate? Did he ever assault any one? If he did, why was permitted back for eight years? Sadly the TCPF, in its short-sightedness, gave Johnson free publicity and a court victory. Both are priceless to him. Johnson is just as entitled to peacefully participate in the TCPF as Reverend Tom Brock is entitled to preach what he will from his pulpit, and on radio and television stations he or his congregation pay to carry his programming. Just as Brock can be silenced when listeners turn-off their radios and televisions, and stop sending Hope Lutheran Church money, so too Johnson can be silenced by people ignoring him.

is it me, or does this guy look like an evil person?

In regards to handing out condoms and HIV prevention literature outside of churches I'd be totally for it as long as it was peaceful. If it were just taking turns at a shouting contest then I think it would just reaffirm their negative opinions of the gay community and throw the closeted people in the pews even further into the closet. Be rational. Be celebratory. Even be humorous. Maybe have a safe-sex stand near the protesters with a sign: Trade in pamphlets for condoms and lube!

Salt Lake City's Pride Festival has a little corner on the grounds where the handful of "God Hates Fags" people shout from and are watched over by police (for protection both ways) and you'll get some of them wandering the sidewalks just off the grounds as well. First time I went I was terrified of what they'd be like but when I finally saw them I realized that the immense support from others greatly overpowered their rants and I lost my fear of them. It was actually good for me to see what they are and realize I can be out and proud even when others would want to throw a Bible at me (which I'd probably take home since yeah I'm a Christian). Let them be there. They have the right. Keep holding your festival and they simply can't win. Encourage pro-gay Christian groups to attend the festival too and let people know not all religious people preach hate.

For those who would go into churches, you should understand that you are invading private property. So don't make any disturbances. When they pass the collection plate just pass it on. If you can manage to sit through the whole service, file out with the rest of the people and shake the preacher's hand and then in a loud voice, inform him that you thought it was an impressive example of BULLSHIT and DRIVEL.

Every year in New Orleans at Mardi Gras there is a group of religious freaks who walk around gay and straight areas of the French Quarter preaching, we just ignore them. They carry signs and one of them has a huge cross on wheels that he rolls along behind him. My favorite comment I ever heard was someone yelled out "Jesus didn't have wheels". So what if this guy wants to come and distribute bibles, let him, just take one and throw it in the nearest trash can. We let them win when we let them know they are bothering us.

Betty, you may be on to something here. I’d add that we’d have to be inside the church during services. I live in the Twin Cities, and everybody’s talking about this. I agree with Pride’s position that it costs a lot of money to lease the park, and when they hold an event in there, they should have some degree of control of what’s cool and what’s not.

Free speech is free speech and it works for everyone. The Haters have the right to voice their opinion and we, the GLBT Community, have a responisbility to counter their hate. As a Black Gay man I hate what they say but I support their right to say it. A number of years ago I and several others defended the KKK's right to hold a rally on the University's campus on MLK Day but in conjunction to it we held a counter demonstration. We had several thousand show up and they had less than 50. We drowned them out and they left. We need to expose their hate to the light of day and expose thier messages for the lies that they are.