Religious right organizations have fought in court to allow folks to disrupt Pride celebrations by protesting and such so I wonder how they feel about the following (I apologize for the language):
More here at Raw Story.
Just want to be clear about something - This is NOT a black/white issue but a crazy vs. sane issue.
Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan say that there was nothing they could do after Bible-preaching protesters threatened to rape and murder pro-LGBT activists at a “Gay Day” event over the weekend.
In a video posted to YouTube, several protesters with Bibles can be seen shouting at a woman celebrating in the inaugural “Gay Day” celebration, an event organized by the human rights group Tolerance, Equality and Awareness Movement (TEAM) to showcase the community’s diversity.
“Back in the day there was no free power, there was no going to the mall,” one protester tells the woman. “There was, ‘sit your ass in this house until I bring my ass home.’”
“And if your ass get to going out there like you said, guess what?” a second protester adds. “You get raped. And that’s what’s going to happen to you. … Keep your pussy clean, that’s all you need to do. Do you understand?”
After one man claims, “the Lord said that,” the woman challenges him to find the corresponding Bible verse.
He responds with Isaiah 13: “Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.”
“What does ‘ravished’ mean? It means, we going to rape your ass,” the protester explains. “And I’m going to have fun doing that shit. And you going to like that. I promise you.”
After briefly arguing that he is misinterpreting the Bible, the woman observes, “Anything I say, you say it doesn’t matter.”
“It’s going to matter right now,” the man shoots back. “It’s going to matter when your clothes off and I’m going inside of you repeatedly. That’s when it’s going to matter. Because you going to enjoy yourself.”
. . . WWMT reported that the men were part of a Christian black supremacist group called the Black Hebrew Israelites. According to the South Poverty Law Center, the quickly spreading movement preaches “a frightening, racist theology that says Jesus Christ is returning soon to kill or enslave white people, Jews, homosexuals, and others.”
Certain cultures practice “corrective rape” to “correct” the sexual orientation of Lesbian women.
More here at Raw Story.
Just want to be clear about something - This is NOT a black/white issue but a crazy vs. sane issue.
I would have had him charged with assault. TO imagine they still could. There is no need for actual touching, if fear was created, assault exists, at least in a civil court.
ReplyDeleteI have to give the woman props for not beating or killing them. I can't say I would have been that strong.
ReplyDeleteYou know, if the religious bigots can spout their bovine effluent at our events, we should certainly be afforded the opportunity to disrupt their church services.
ReplyDeleteAnd not for anything, I'd like to ask that 'precher' a couple questions. First of all, has he ever read the entire text? And second, did he miss the parts in Deuteronomy where the Bible actually condones regulated slavery? And that the very book he's using to try and repress other people, was once used to repress the likes of him?
How is threatning violence NOT a chargeable offense?
ReplyDeleteAnd the amazing thing is that that courageous woman, and our side in general, is not whining about being "persecuted," as the christians do. the "christian" talk speaks for itself.
ReplyDeleteIf Toni Perkins had been subjected to such a rant, can you imagine the screaming we'd hear?
Here in the Netherlands, they would have been prosecuted already. Threatening to rape someone? I'm sure he would do it too. This isn't freedom of speech, this his threatening. These people will cause a lot of trouble if they practice what they preach.
ReplyDeleteClearly there are statutes that could have been used. When Occupy is in a public space, or people wanted to protest near W. there are always all kinds of laws that let the cops remove you from an area. That's why we call this a police state. Every single one of us can probably be cited for *something* at any given time. The police always have to use their discretion as to what to get involved in.
ReplyDeleteThey don't see a crime here, so there isn't one. That's how the law works now I guess.
Crazy racist bigots are crazy racist bigots. Can't say I'm surprised. More power to that woman not punching her out, and shame on the local police for letting them tell her they were going to assault her. Which by the way is illegal, just not if it's against gay people I guess.
ReplyDeleteDisgusting. If I was there, I guarantee I would have lost my self control and broken a few teeth.
The people who were saying those vile things should have been arrested.
ReplyDeleteAlvin,
ReplyDeleteI'm very much on board with the crazy/sane angle. The other angle didn't occur to me at all.