Agape Press, which seems to be one of the journalistic arms of the American Family Association, has an article here about the Erie County Health Department having been involved with the recent Erie Pride Weekend. They also got whacked out because David Greer, a member of President Bush's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and a Log Cabin Republican, not to mention the Human Rights Campaign, spoke at the Rally. You can read that little diatribe here.
Note that in the David Greer article that they refer to the weekend as a "rowdy" homosexual rally. Hmm, speaking as someone who went to all of the events, I would hardly call it "rowdy." But of course, to the AFA, EVERYTHING is a crisis and there are no gay human beings, just "radical homosexuals." I am not aware of any AFA folks having been at any of the events, and haven't heard of any local negative reaction, but the AFA magically has divined that some run of the mill stuff is shocking and offensive and everyone can barely contain the outrage just waiting to explode. Sigh.
So let me put the shoe on the other foot. I just read an article at the Erie Times News about an annual event that takes place at schools called See You At The Pole. It's basically a student led voluntary prayer thing. Yup, it seems to just be Christian, and not other religious traditions. (Of course, other traditions would be free to organize as well, and this is NOT something that officials are drafting kids into, so religion is not being shoved down anyone's throat.)
My personal view is that it's just fine for students to do this. Yeah, I am not now now have I ever thought of myself as Christian. However, not belonging to a group does not mean that you have to regard EVERY LAST THING THAT THEY DO as some kind of nefarious plot. And heck, being Christian doesn't mean that one isn't also GLBT or potentially GLBT supportive. Even though I am out of the broom closet as Pagan, I have many friends and relatives who are Christian who are either GLBT or genuinely GLBT supportive.
So, AFA take note: if run shrieking around at everything that people who you perceive as being "other" do, you tend not to be as creditable. You also wear yourself out. Who has the energy to be that angry ALL THE TIME?
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