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07/18/2010
#NOMTour: A dangerous game in the name of 'marriage protection'
A different scene went down today in Providence, RI. Most reports claim that we won the numbers game. All reports indicate that passions flared:
About 150 opponents of same-sex marriage, gathered near the capitol's south steps to hear speakers taking part the national group's "Summer of Marriage" tour, had to strain to hear as more than 175 counter-protesters surrounded their ranks with chants including "Get your hate out of our state."
Capitol Police kept distance between shouting clusters of advocates from each side and also summoned the State Police, who responded with five officers.
300 face off at RI State House over same-sex marriage [ProJo]
Shouting would probably not be my tactic, personally. And from what I hear, there was a lot of it. While we absolutely must show up, it would seem that this NOM marriage tour is a unique situation where silent demonstrations can speak much more loudly than words ever could (as we saw yesterday in Albany). But hey -- different strokes, different folks.
The one undeniable reality, regardless of protest tactic, is that the National Organization for Marriage is like a big bomb waiting to explode. This bomb is rolling through city after city, making unprovoked and unwarranted attacks on people's lives and loves. Muddying psyches with unbridled hostility hidden behind a mask of false compassion, punching souls for sport, and stirring up the pot of hostility simply because their personal faith views refuse to accept gay people's CIVIL equality. In this process, they are telling legally-married gay people like myself that our lives and loves and families and weddings and anniversaries and joy and peace and love (and in-laws, with whom I just so happened to spend a glorious afternoon) are all shams. And worse yet: They are telling us that if they can find some far-fetched way to do so, then they will forcibly divorce us at the first chance they get. THAT IS SOME CRAZY STUFF!
With hostility this targeted, there will be explosions. Because LGBT people and their allies are not carefully manufactured bombs: We are humans. Humans get tired of being dehumanized!
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*UPDATE: Here's a photo that Brian Brown is tweeting around:
Just remember one thing, B.B: YOU BOOKED THE MICROPHONE! YOU CHOSE TO GIVE THIS SPEECH! YOU ARE THE ONE SPENDING THE LORD'S DAY TO TURN GOD AGAINST GAY PEOPLE'S UNIONS!
You don't get to be both the bully and the victim, Brian. YOU HURT HUMAN BENGS FOR A LIVING, DUDE!
***
*Oh, and once again, Brian sees the numbers unlike anyone else who was on site:
"We had about 200-250 people show up for today’s rally outside the Rhode Island State House. A little while later, about 150 gay marriage protestors showed up in red shirts." [SOURCE]
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