Site of ex-gay conference targeted

[kweerwolf]

As the congregation poured out of Bostons Tremont Temple Baptist Church after services Aug. 14, decked out in their Sunday best, they were met by a group of 10 young activists who urged them to close the church doors to Focus on the Family (FOTF), which is set to hold a 1000-person ex-gay conference at the church Oct. 29. The activists, members of an LGBT activist group called QueerToday.com, spent an hour in conversation with parishioners and church officials about the Love Won Out conference in hopes that they could persuade parishioners to rescind their agreement with FOTF to use the church for the fall conference.

"Were not here to protest the people, this congregation," explained Trevor Wright, a 20-year-old protestor from Boston. "Were here to just inform them and let them know about whats coming in October, and hopefully a couple of people will speak up and at least challenge what this conference is about as members of the church."

Tremont Temple Baptist Church has a long and distinguished record on civil rights. Founded in 1839, the church bills itself as the first integrated church in America, and today the church continues to have a racially, ethnically and culturally diverse congregation. Before he was elected president, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at the church, and the QueerToday activists urged churchgoers not to sully their church's proud legacy by hosting an anti-gay event.

As parishioners left the church that afternoon, the QueerToday.com protestors approached them handing packets of information about the conference and about the ex-gay movement. Leaflets produced by QueerToday explained that the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association have all discredited reparative therapy, a so-called therapy used in the ex-gay movement to try to "convert" gay and lesbian people into heterosexuals.

http://www.baywindows.com/media/paper328/news/2005/08/18/News/Site-Of.ExGay.Conference.Targeted-967463.shtml

[mitchtv]

1. Wow, some tough gays in Boston

I would love to start picketing churches. They are at the root of much if the discord and hate. What a shame that it comes to a church with a noble heritage. Do they support "preemptive wars of conquest"?

[Zenlitened]

2. Hats off to the QueerToday group. An excellent approach.

It will be interesting to see what happens next, as there is a LOT of ignorance out there. From the article:

... Yet Tremont Temple Baptist Churchs George Thomas, who spoke with QueerToday protestors that afternoon, told Bay Windows he believes that the ex-gay agenda is only a small part of the conference. "From what I know of the conference theyre presenting a Biblical perspective on their views on homosexuality," said Thomas, who said he listens to FOTFs radio program. "So whether wants to accept that and make it something else or not is another issue, but thats the truth of the matter. Theyre not trying to convert anyone. Theyre not trying to force it down your mouth. Theyre not trying to take anything away from you, none of your rights."

Uh, FOTF "presenting a biblical perspective on homosexuality" IS an attempt to undermine the GLBT community. That's precisely why it's trotted out: to attack gays and lesbians.

:puke:

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Well. It was evangelical churches and other . . .

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Well. It was evangelical churches and other churches in and around Boston that started the national abolitionist movement (against slavery). This was one of the Boston churches where it all began. http://www.tremonttemple.com/Pastor.htm . . . how sad that this pastor cannot or will not see beyond his nose that what he is doing (or plans on doing) is discriminatory.

This ridiculous movement being pushed, here, by Focus on the Family (FOTF) to "ungay" gays has no basis in behavorial or medical science and is being used as a ploy to bash gays, period. (See, e.g., DU GLBT Issues thread particularly the OP's url reference material: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x15235)

As we are all aware, James Dobson and his hate group, Focus on the Family, is one of America's most infamous and well-heeled hate groups bashing gays:

"What has been the public response to the (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) 2003) decision telling the government to stop denying licenses and marriage rights?

We believe that the public is not inclined to write anti-gay discrimination into the constitution. Recent opinion polling in Massachusetts confirms that the public supports the court decision. (University of Massachusetts, 12/13/03 -- 59% support; Boston Globe, 11/23/03 -- 50% support civil marriage, 53% want lawmakers to do nothing to block the implementation of the court ruling or to adjust the laws only so that they conform with the SJC opinion, 53% oppose a constitutional amendment; Boston Herald, 11/23/03 -- 49% support civil marriage, 54% oppose constitutional amendment; Decision Research, 10/30/03 -- 59% support civil marriage, 77% find the notion of civil marriage for gay people acceptable even if don’t approve). However, anti-gay groups are launching a full-scale campaign to distort the issues and create fears. National groups like (James Dobson's) Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council are already at work in the state."

http://www.glad.org/marriage/massmarriage_faq.shtml
(G.L.A.D. represented the plaintiffs in the same-sex marriage case, i.e., Goodridge et al v. Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2003))

color and boldface type emphasis added by TaleWgnDg.

So are you surprised? No. And it's good to know that there are some who are willing to challenge these hate groups!

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edited to add: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x15235 (related issue)

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