I cannot believe it...Anti-Gay Activists Given OK To Proselytize At Pride Festival

[WillParkinson]

MINNEAPOLIS: Anti-Gay Activists Given OK To Proselytize At Pride Festival

Twin Cities Pride is warring with the Minneapolis parks department over the decision to allow anti-gay activists on the grounds of their Pride festival, where the husband and wife team of Brian and Lois Johnson is expected to attempt to hand out bibles and shout about Jeebus.

Festival organizers say they paid ten of thousands of dollars to secure the park for this weekend’s celebration, giving them a right to control the message of the event. The park board has given the OK to Brain and Lois Johnson to distribute the Bibles, saying it is merely standing up for free speech. “The park board’s decision is akin to allowing the Klu Klux Klan to openly convey their racist and anti-immigration views at the Cinco de Mayo festival,” said Eileen Scallen, an attorney for the Pride Festival and a professor at William Mitchell College of Law. Pride officials say they will seek a federal injunction Wednesday to prevent the Johnsons from handing out books and anti-gay literature within Loring Park during the festival. They gave the park board until Tuesday evening to reverse the decision to allow the Johnsons in the park.

The Johnsons are being backed by the Alliance Defense Fund, which has defended many similar cases around the country. The ADF says it will sue Minneapolis if their clients are banned from the park. Last year the Johnsons were arrested for trespassing at the festival, but the city later dropped the charges.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/06/minneapolis-anti-gay-activists-given-ok.html

[Taverner]

1. Time to think "Laramie Project" here...

Angels Away!

[qb]

2. I hope Pride wins this one.

I support free speech, but the anti-gay bigotry should be allowed only outside of the festival. I think the Johnsons can attend, but if they cause a disturbance they should be arrested and charged accordingly.

[SocialistLez]

3. As much as I disagree with the couple's message...

the people at pride can always ignore them. It is Free Speech.

When I went to pride a few weeks ago, we had a few protesters but a lot of people ignored them.
The police stopped them from going into the pride area.

Before the police arrived, a few of the kids passed out pamphlets which were promptly throw into the trash.

[davidinalameda]

16. you're right

it's public property

you can't ban people from speaking

if they cause a disturbance, then call the cops

if I was one of the pride organizers, I'd have someone follows these people the entire day documenting everything they do just in case something happens

[MNBrewer]

19. Rented for Pride by the Pride Committee

So, it's not exactly "public" all weekend.

[davidinalameda]

20. is everyone allowed in?

if so, it's not private

just like a restaurant or a shopping mall

you can't ban someone because you don't like them

[MNBrewer]

21. Trouble makers will be asked to leave, I'm sure

Supposedly they've had their booth there for 10 years, but I've never seen it. Maybe it's because I avoid the religion section of the park, but...

[MNBrewer]

22. Actually, I think this is analogous to the St. Patrick's parade

Gays can watch, but not participate.

Twin Cities Gay Pride? Homophobes can watch, but not participate.

[davidinalameda]

24. they can watch but not march in the parade

the Pride people can do that as well-regulating who marches if they have a parade b

[dsc]

23. actually both of those places can, and indeed do, ban individuals

who they deem undersirable. A local mall here bans teenagers after a certain time while some buffets ban people who leave too much food on the plate

[Dark]

31. My thing is that they paid to rent it. It'd be one thing if it was free.

But since they paid to rent the venue, I think the free speech issue would be much murkier.

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. As far as I know this is still America

Even as loathesome as some messengers are, it is important to protect their rights to free speech in order to protect our own.

[SocialistLez]

5. Exactly. Plenty of people think LGBT people shouldn't have a voice.

We're messing with fire when we want to silence them.

The minute someone wants to silence the LGBT community cries of "FREE SPEECH!" can be heard but when the anti-gay bigots want a say...we want to silence them.

[Dogtown]

7. I reluctantly agree, Vinnie

but I hope the interlopers get the welcome they deserve.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting violence, merely a shout-down of their hideous bigotry.

[FreeState]

There is no right to free speech here

They are attending a private event that is being held on land that has been rented by Pride. It would be a bit like saying you have a right to go to someones church that was being held at a rented government owned establishment and hand out anti-christian literature.

[joeybee12]

14. True...paying for the place makes the place no longer "public"...

just hope they can get an injunction quick enough.

[FreeState]

13. dupe n/t

[unpossibles]

6. that is messed up

I am all for freedom of speech but this is just tacky and awful. Awful.

[YOY]

8. Oh to be a fly on the wall when they try it...

n.t.

[sui generis]

9. I am so tired of stupid people believing that "free speech"

means the right to impose your message on non-government entities. They entirely miss the point of the 1st amendment, and its equivalent elsewhere.

[FreeState]

12. +1000 n/t

[LostinVA]

10. Thye rented the venue, they control the message

As long as it falls within legal limits. This is breaching their contract, as far as I'm concerned.

[Euromutt]

18. My thoughts exactly

As FreeState and joeybee12 rightly noted up-thread, once the city accepted money from a private organization for the use of the property, it ceded a certain amount of control over what happens on the property to that organization.

If the city feels compelled to let these folks exercise their first amendment rights, they can let them do so directly outside the park which Pride is paying money to rent.

[mitchtv]

11. water pistols

food coloring optional

[FiveGoodMen]

15. Reminds me of a bit of dialog from Two and a Half Men

Jake (son): I was framed in that water pistol incident at school.

Alan (father): But ... that was your water pistol ...

Jake: Yeah, but it wasn't my pee!

[dsc]

17. Once a space is rented, as this one is, it isn't public anymore

The GSA I advise was having its picnic at a local, public park, and we got kicked out when a wedding party, who had paid for the pavillion, showed up. Those protesters have no more right to disturb pride than we would have had disturbing that reception.

[RidinMyDonkey]

25. Why wouldn't you believe this?

Nothing surprising here. They're allowed to unwelcomely preach and throw bibles at people anywhere else. Try living next to an abortion clinic for a while. The practice of forcing ones religion and beliefs onto others in public should not be seen as free speech, but as harrassment.

[MNBrewer]

27. The operating legal principle here seems to be

Deference to religion at all costs, and if it involves the opportunity to abuse homosexuals, all the better.

I'll be @ pride later in a few hours. Will be interesting to see if anything is going on regarding this.

[Ian David]

26. Payback will be a BITCH when they hold one of THEIR festivals. n/t

[MNBrewer]

28. Matthew 23:13

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

[Crowman1979]

29. Time for some guerilla theatre to be performed.

To the point where the fundies just walk away in frustration afterwards.

[qb]

30. Well, the religio-nuts were at the festival, but I couldn't hear a thing they said

thanks to the 20:1 ratio of LGBT counter-protesters! :bounce:
Also, their little booth only had people scratching their heads and saying "Huh?" I think they tried too hard to mask their hate speech, because the signs on their booth made no sense at all. I can't even remember what they said.

I hope the Pride Committee sues Minneapolis for breach of contract.