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News :: Civil & Human Rights : Protest Activity |
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Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
Current rating: 16 |
by Michelle
Email: trailertrashzine (nospam) hotmail.com |
16 Jun 2004
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Every Memorial Day weekend in Pensacola, thousands of people who pursue alternate lifestyles, i.e. gays, descend upon our fair city for 3 days of fun in the sun, pouring thousands of dollars into our local, depressed economy. And every Memorial Day weekend for the past few years, some local, radical, extremist Christians have taken it upon themselves to harass the gay vacationers from what the fundamentalists deem will be an afterlife burning in hell. |
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Every Memorial Day weekend in Pensacola, thousands of people who pursue alternate lifestyles, i.e. gays, descend upon our fair city for 3 days of fun in the sun, pouring thousands of dollars into our local, depressed economy. And every Memorial Day weekend for the past few years, some local, radical, extremist Christians have taken it upon themselves to harass the gay vacationers from what these fundamentalists deem will be an afterlife burning in hell.
To counter the extremist Christian protestors, each year a few people turn out to hold up signs that express their views against the extremist Christians and try to show peace and tolerance for those who are different from the rest of us, much to the chagrin of the Christian fundies who find us to be a veritable thorn in their sides. The purpose of counter protesting these hardliners was to show that not all of Pensacola is close-minded and hate filled and that many who live in our city believe in tolerance and peace towards others who might be different than us.
I was shocked by what I witnessed that humid Sunday evening at their protest. Not shocked by any gay vacationers, who made their way into the Pensacola Civic Center for an evening of music and dancing. In fact, all of the gay people I saw were well behaved and polite, trying to mind their own business as they walked towards the Civic Center entrance. Many were doing their best to ignore the harassers shouting at them. The shock I experienced was from the Christian extremists who stood on the sidewalks and hurled insults at them at the top of their lungs, followed them and harassed them while the Pensacola Police Department looked on silently. Some shouted Bible passages and told the gay people they were going to hell. Several of the haters tried to give the partygoers the infamous Jack Chick religious Bible tracts that would all miraculously and divinely scare gay people into converting into the Christian extremists’ idea of a God-like religion.
As a counter protestor to the Christian taunters, I was bombarded by scores of them who harassed me, told me I too was going to hell and inquired as to why I was there holding up signs that said “Peace and Tolerance.” Several accused me of being gay because I was with them, them being the gay people at the Civic Center. Like Bush said, “You’re either with us, or against us” so therefore since I was against Christian extremism, I must have been one of them. If I moved from one area of the sidewalk to another to get away from the hardliners, I was followed by a man holding a Bible, reading from it in a very loud voice approximately 15 inches from my ear. Somehow this man was under the impression I would get on my knees and convert to his twisted version of Christianity.
In fact, the tactics these Christians were utilising were very similar to the psychological mind-bending imposed on new recruits who attend military boot camp. They were trying to break us counter protestors down through militaristic and intimidating means by shouting in our ears and following closely to us each time we attempted to move away from them.
I quickly learned from another counter protestor that silence was our best weapon and I used it often, though at times I felt comments were needed. At one point, I informed the hate filled protestors that I was a Muslim, which brought the expected insults my way, filled with odious and ignorant rants I chose to ignore. I braced myself for the usual accusations that I was a terrorist and of course these condemnations were not long in coming. One hardline Christian said I “…acted like a terrorist” which I found ironic since it was he who was oppressing a group of people while I was showing what Islam is truly about – peace and tolerance. The harassment upon us counter protestors continued for the next three, long hours as we stood on the sidewalk showing our side of the story. One advantage of this was that the fundies became so focused on me and the other counter protestors on the north side of Gregory Street that the extremist Christians who surrounded us forgot all about the gays across the street at the Civic Center. Reverse child psychology immediately came to mind in this instance. Distract the children and get results!
“Is this a fag cab?”
“You’re a lesbian just like them!”
“You’re a terrorist, you don’t deserve to be in this country!”
“Where will your mother go when she dies?”
“I bet you had a bad childhood and bad parents!”
“Muslims kill people with swords!”
“You’re praying to the devil.”
“You’re all a bunch of fags and you will all burn in hell!”
Meanwhile, across three lanes of warm asphalt at the corner of Gregory and Garden on the south side, the louder Christians, scores of fundamentalists who were members of Smyrna Baptist Church on Pensacola Boulevard, thrust Bibles above their heads as weapons of justice and continued their assault on the gay people walking towards the Civic Center or passing by in cars or taxis. The extremist Christians automatically assumed that nearly every car that drove past them contained “homosexuals” and therefore it was in the best interest of the radical fundamentalists to belt out insult after insult at any car that passed their way. Some of their favourite insults were; “Is this a fag cab?” and “Turn or burn!” while waving their Bibles in the humid night air and laughing at their own abhorrent comments. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing and was profoundly disgusted and embarrassed by their actions. I thought to myself that surely a prophet like Jesus Christ was would never have acted as these people did.
What I found most ironic was how these same extremists used hatred as their agenda, yet attacked me for being a Muslim who did not want hatred to be expressed towards anyone and called me the terrorist. I was accused of praying to the devil and also killing people with swords. I don’t even own a sword and Muslims certainly do not pray to the “devil.”
In the end, the true terrorists were out on the streets that night, spewing caustic words of hatred and self-righteous judgment for people they did not even know or care to get to know. The Christian hardliners accomplished nothing more than repelling those they purportedly came to “save.”
By the end of the night, as my friend and I refused to leave until the Smyrna church groupies packed up their stacks of white signs with choice Bible verses, Chick tracts and confounded minds, we were beginning to feel emotionally and physically drained from our experience. However, we both agreed to stay until every last one of them made their way to their church vans. They climbed inside to invariably high five each other for a job well done spreading hatred and prepared for the next Memorial Day assault, only 364 days away.
These self appointed Christian martyrs waging their own holy war are no different than the radical clerics and mullahs in countries like Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia who teach a distorted brand of Islam, touting hatred for those who do not agree with them or follow their twisted brand of religion and way of life. While so many seem to be quick to judge Islam, it needs to be said that radicalism is also alive and well among the right wing Christian extremists in the United States. The thought process among Christian fanatics is no different than that of radical clerics and uneducated people willing to idolise and esteem preachers and scholars as their leaders like packs of sheep void of logic and reasoning.
The ignorance, intolerance and lack of education as well as a deep-seated fear of people different from themselves only adds fuel to the fire of Christian fanaticism which was clearly evident that humid Sunday evening in downtown Pensacola. |
This work is in the public domain. |
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Re: Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
by eric smith
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 12
19 Jun 2004
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kickass article. I a always pissed at how the 'law' protects those on the right but just looks on at those that think anything other. And yes I too have notice the similiarities between the military training tactics and those of the xtian right. Along with their voting and media viewing similiarites. But yes this is a damn good article. you guys need a photographer. |
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Re: Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
by Djinn
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 6
22 Jun 2004
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Good article about showing that all religions have an extremist side to them. It was very surprising to see that people would be holding the Bible in one hand and screaming insults. You have exposed the insecure people in christianity, as well as linked them with the extremists of the muslim world. Showing that the majority of both religions are peaceful. Good Job :) |
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Re: Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
by umema
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
22 Jun 2004
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I must appreciate your efforts to spread patience and peace. May Allah Guide us all to right path and give us more tolerance.
Ameen |
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Re: Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
by Djinn
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
22 Jun 2004
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Good article about showing that all religions have an extremist side to them. It was very surprising to see that people would be holding the Bible in one hand and screaming insults. You have exposed the insecure people in christianity, as well as linked them with the extremists of the muslim world. Showing that the majority of both religions are peaceful. Good Job :) |
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Re: Local Extremist Christians Harass Gay Vacationers Over Memorial Day Weekend |
by scott
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
26 Jun 2004
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i really liked this article, too. I grew up Catholic, a church which certainly has plenty of faults, but I'm still always surprised to see people going to the extent that they do. It does them more harm than good I imagine. But I truly believe that they are preaching a message of hate, so it's not too surprising when they espouse what they preach. This article is good because it exposes what is a major problem here in Pensacola and in the South (and in america for that matter) |
