Rhea County, Tenn., made headlines a couple weeks ago when it sought to pass laws to arrest the county’s homosexual residents and run them out of town. Ex-gay activists saw the news, and found an opportunity to promote a kinder, gentler form of discrimination and prejudice.
Rhea County and its county seat of Dayton are infamous for the 1925 Scopes trial against a teacher who dared to teach evolution. But today they are better-known among Tennesseans for the annual Strawberry Festival. The strawberries are grown locally.
In the late 1980s, I visited Dayton twice to help obtain legal status for the county’s immigrant strawberry pickers. I perceived a hint of bigotry in the town — the sort of immorality in which predominantly Protestant farmers profited from the labor of poorly paid, uninsured, predominantly Catholic immigrants. But I saw no more bigotry or racial oppression than I might find in any rural locality where the population is 89 percent white, only 11 percent have completed college, and 14 percent are unemployed.
Fast forward to April 2004:
Hoping to capitalize on the county’s re-emergence as a national symbol of backwardness, on Apr. 28 Exodus ex-gay leaders Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas sought to teach county residents a kinder, gentler sort of bigotry:
Alan and Randy will bring psychological, spiritual, legislative and practical insight on the topic of homosexuality to varying groups in Rhea County, Tennessee. On Wednesday April 28, 2004, Exodus will seek to help Rhea county residents discover the balance of what is good for community, defend personal convictions with integrity and maintain a realistic approach to those dealing with or affected by homosexuality. Speaking engagements cover the entire day: it will be very busy. Alan and Randy would certainly appreciate your prayers.
Exodus opposes violence against homosexual people — but it encourages discrimination, including excommunication, job termination and eviction. Discrimination has the same effect, of course, as Rhea County’s earlier course of action: Both forms of harassment compel gay and gay-tolerant people to move elsewhere.
Should we pray that Exodus is successful in encouraging the Dayton area to be more creative in making life difficult for homosexual Tennesseans?
Probably not.
On this particular occasion, Ex-Gay Watch will pray only that Chambers and Thomas learn the Golden Rule of Christianity and other faiths: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Do unto others. Treat evolution teachers, migrant workers, and gays in the same manner that you seek to be treated.
Addendum, May 10, 2004: Four hundred people attended Gay Day in Dayton on May 8.
The Nashville Tennessean notes that two antigay religious activists were arrested for attempting to disrupt the event, while an antigay woman was welcomed by attendees.
In its CitizenLink e-mail message today, Focus on the Family complained that two Christian men were arrested. But Focus on the Family declined to inform its readers that:
- the Gay Day crowd peacefully interacted with the antigay woman, Norma Ruehling of Dayton;
- According to CNN, Police Chief Kenneth Walker said the two arrested men among a group of about 10 "out-of-towners coming in here wanting to cause trouble."
- According to another article in The Tennessean, a group of 35 antigay preachers, many from out of town, had already rallied in Dayton on May 7 to voice their hatred of homosexuality. Numerous local Christians left the rally in disgust, and — according to the antigay Baptist Press — a local group of evangelicals courted by Exodus International distanced itself from the hate rally.
Addendum, June 9, 2004: CNN reports that, for 51 years, Rhea County officials have been using the public schools to hold weekly Bible classes in which the book is taught, not as literature or as one of several religions, but as "religious truth." A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that the classes are unconstitutional.
Heh, maybe the county police will try to arrest Alan and Randy with their circus as well.
I am constantly amazed that “Christians” who seem to have no problem living beside those who disagree with them on major religious matters (e.g., Jews who reject the entire New Testament, or Catholics/Orthodox who recognize and entirely different theological heirarchy) refuse to live among those of us who are gay (and therefore differ with them on, what, 6 passages in the Bible?).
Please note the demarkation of “Christians” is intended to separate anti-gay types from other Christians.
What I find amazing is how uninformed and, well, bited you guys are. For one thing,y ou talk trash about Chrisyains, and say THEY are intoelrent of Jews and other religiosu groups. The Rhea county incedent didn’t mention Reliigosu persecution, the author of the arutcle did, but the Homosexual issue was not reliigious.
Likewisie, as a resedent OF rhea county Tennessee, and living in Dayton, I can spot errors in the post of the person of this article whoch you beleive wholy. I lived here for 20 years.
Lets look at the post.
Exodus Ex-Gays Violate the Golden Rule in Tennessee
Rhea County, Tenn., and its county seat of Dayton are infamous for the 1925 Scopes trial against a teacher who dared to teach evolution.
{Actually the trial was legitimate. Sttae law prohibited it under the Butler act. It was a state and federal law, that daytin was not really responcible for. Likewise, the trial is misunderstood by most. It was cooked up as a publicity stunt in a drug store, and no one as relaly all that hostile.}-Zarove
But today they are better-known among Tennesseans for the annual Strawberry Festival. The strawberries are grown locally.
{Yes.}-Zarove
In the late 1980s, I visited Dayton twice to help obtain legal status for the county’s immigrant strawberry pickers.
{Thats nice. But imigrant workers are treated better here than in most counties.}-Zarove
I perceived a hint of bigotry in the town —
{I don’t. Then again maybe its because I am a Bigot acocring tot he uthir? This is a bias that leads the reader. The gays who came in where reaosnabel, intellegent, and foreard thinkikng, seekign the noble oal of acceptance anfd freedom. The locals wher ebigoted and backward. What a joke. More on that below. Bu I wll say now that their ismore boigotry in the North than in the south. Least of all in Dayton.}-Zarove
the sort of immorality in which predominantly Protestant farmers profited from the labor of poorly paid, uninsured, predominantly Catholic immigrants.
{This is a lie. For starters, many of the famrers ar eprotestnats and a lot of the immagrants are cahtolic. However, their religions aren’t relaly the important part of the affair. The reader ASSUMES bigotry base don reliigon, when in reality the imigrant workers WANT to work the feilds because they need money. No one makes a big deal over their religion, and we even try to help them out whenever possible.
Claimign that this is immorality because the Protestnat farmers take advantage of the cahtolic workers is simpley a lie.( A lot of the “Cahtolic” Mexicans are actually members of protestnat Chruches, and some of the famrers catholic. )
Plus, whats wrong with gicving peolel jobs? Isd this any different htan giving a white man a faotry job, or hiting him to do the same job as the mecxicans?Both happen.}-Zarove
But I saw no more bigotry or racial oppression than I might find in any rural locality where the population is 89 percent white, only 11 percent have completed college, and 14 percent are unemployed.
{Nice. Mostly white bogitrs in rural backwater tennessee… sorry, the actual number of edicate dinfdividuals is mor elike 25% who completed collage in Dayton.we have a collag ein town for that matter. Likewise, the unemplyment rate is 8%, less than the national average. But I guess the facts don’t matter, you are after all wantign to fvillify the region.}-Zarove
Fast forward 16 years:
The county made headlines a couple weeks ago when it sought to pass laws to arrest the county’s homosexual residents and run them out of town.
{Yes. it was overblown. No one trealy took it serieouly, and dispite the vbleak picture you painted of rhea county above, which is mostly lies, lies I personally wpiudl be wllign to confrm ar elies if you ever cvisit the county again, the fact is most gay people in town laghted it off. it was a joke that got out of hand. }-Zarove
Hoping to capitalize on the county’s re-emergence as a national symbol of backwardness,
{Rhea county is actulaly more progressive than most northern states. we had desegregation before New York City.But nie to knwo you can mock and berate us as closed minded fundamentalist bogots who need outsiders to enlighten us.}-Zarove
on Apr. 28 Exodus ex-gay leaders Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas sought to teach county residents a kinder, gentler sort of bigotry:
{ Yeah we are all Bigots here. Characteising a whole county population sint bigotry. CLaimign CHrisyains are evil sint bogotry. Callign gay peopel mmoral is thouhg…}-Zarove
Alan and Randy will bring psychological, spiritual, legislative and practical insight on the topic of homosexuality to varying groups in Rhea County, Tennessee.
{yes thats wrong! How dare they! Now the gay day was a good thing, as it showed us poor backward souls that gays ar ehuman too, and maybe all those gays that liv ein fear can come out in the pen now!
How dare these peopel resent this hate filled idea that maybe Gay is not good!
Free speach has no place in MAerica! If you support Homosexuality, you can spek, but if you are oppsoed, you shoud be locked away for Hate Speach!
Sorry, Dayton sint bogoted, we have had openly gay high shcool yeachers for 20 years or more, openly gay doctors, and openly gay facotry workers. We accepted them. None of them feared beign run out of town and no one relaly listens tot he county commissioners. The town isnt backward and bogoted dispite the claims of the author, who himself is a hypocrite because he wants ot charecterise the town, the south in general, and chrisyains as bogoted while lying in his own article and tryign to deny free spoeach to anyone wiht a different veiwpoint.}-Zarove
On Wednesday April 28, 2004, Exodus will seek to help Rhea county residents discover the balance of what is good for community, defend personal convictions with integrity and maintain a realistic approach to those dealing with or affected by homosexuality.
{Yes, fre speach bad, gay propoganda and anti-dayton sentement good!}-Zarove
Speaking engagements cover the entire day: it will be very busy. Alan and Randy would certainly appreciate your prayers.
{Which is wrong why?}-Zarove
Exodus opposes violence against homosexual people — but it encourages discrimination, including excommunication, job termination and eviction.
{I serieosuly doubt this. I mean, who am i to beelive, you? Lets face it, you basiclaly pronolunced Dayton a Bogoted and backwater comunity, and the peopel in it are uneducated fools who act immorally.
You dont live here and relaly are way out of lien with this sort of discrtimination yourself.}-Zarove
Discrimination has the same effect, of course, as Rhea County’s earlier course of action:
{Rhea county took no action. No gaypeoel where run out of town.}-Zarove
Both forms of harassment compel gay and gay-tolerant people to move elsewhere.
{Do they? funny, the GAY HIGH SCHOOK YEACHERS still yeach. The gay facotry workers still work. The Gay Doctors still perform sergery.
No oen was frightened or intimidated by the law, or the “Bogotry” of rhea contians. even the Gay Day orginisers coulnd find fault with how we treated them.
Though their mockery of us wa snot app;iciated.}-Zarove
Should we pray that Exodus is successful in encouraging the Dayton area to be more creative in bullying homosexual Tennesseans?
{Yes, Dayton Tennsee resedents bully Himosexuals. Gays live in fear here, closeted, afraid to come put. If they di, they loose their jobs and are discrimiated againt. That is, except for the TEACHERS, DOCTORS AND OTHER WORKERS I MENTOIKEND THREE OR FOU TIMES ALREADY!!!
Where,m exaclty, in rhea county are gays bullied? I want you to shwo me clear, rela evidence.
And yes, i knwo gaydayinrhea website tells of how this woman was fired for beign a lesbian and coudln get gas. The truth is lazyboy never hired her because it was a 90 day trial, and she didnt make prodiction. Likewise, the gas station that “Refused her gas” didnt. It was a self service station.
exaclty hwo are gays either harrassed or bullied in Rhea County Tennessee?}-Zarove
No.
{We dont bully gays. You are just assumign so you can use us as a soapbox. Villifying us makes gays look more like victims.}-Zarove
On this particular occasion, Ex-Gay Watch will pray only that Chambers and Thomas learn the Golden Rule of Christianity and other faiths: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
{This translates to “Dont ecersise free speach and voliiton. beleive that beign Gay is OK, and never speak agaisnt it, if you do, you ar emorally wrong.
If you vilify a small southern town and redice it to a real life “Deliverance”, you are fine. its not bogotry to tear into Christyains, or southern towns and making them look bad, even if its base don lies, half truths, and misrepresentation.
But even allowing soemone to beleive Homosexuality is worng it not to be permitted.}-Zarove
Do unto others.
{Daytin is pretty laid back. Dspite your claims of bigotry, peoel like living here.even gays.}-Zarove
Treat evolution teachers,
{Uhm, Scopes wans;t an evilution teacher. Do you even knwo the detials of the Scopes trial/ It wanst a bunch of evil fundamentalist boogts tryign to kill a sicnece teacher, it was about the Butler act. He was never jailed and treated well. even Clarrance Darrow said he never saw a nicer town!
But Scops, i reiterate, was not a science teacher.}-Zarove
migrant workers,
{We treat them beter than the north. They have a igher standard of living and more pay in Dayn Tennessee than in most palces in Pennselvania, new tyorsk, or elsewhere per cpaita.}-Zarove
and gays
{Again, we hire then to teahc our children}-Zarove
in the same manner that you seek to be treated.
{We do. Regardless if how you make Daytoin out to be bogoted and closed minded, all of the aboe are treated with c=ouresty and respect.
Please stip slanderign where I live tyo make yor point. We arent evil, bigoted, or intolerent, and you arent so high and above us as to pass judgement.
Your own bogotry is worse than ours.And I defy any of you to coem to dayton, meet me, and prove me wrong!}-Zarove
By thw aqya, I can be reached via email, and will even give my phone number if asked. I can discuss life in Dayton, or let you visit.You ar emore than welcome to email me.
In fact, here is a story that conforms to the hsotry I was always taught.
https://mywebpages.comcast.net/Gunner20/Essays/Blog%20Essay%20Evolution.htm
Dispite the rpeutation, Dayotn was not a mindless town run by evil, closed minded fundamentalists, and althoguh most peopel did, and still do, go to chruch regularly, they wheren’t really opposed to the teaching of evolution in schools. It was a piblicity stunt. As was the Gay ban, onlky the Gay Ban backfired.
Dayton has a hisotry of stunts to get media attention. It does not, however, have a hisotry of discrimination.
AND a correction. srry, I misread, you said where wlling to live next to catholics and jews, ect… I misread, with apologies.
However, the peopel of Rhea county, dispite the “Bigoted” dipiction of the person who was here and loves to make us look even worse to make the gay movement look even better, does indeed live in peace with gay people in Rhea county.
The guuy who posted here and said we mistreated evolution teachers, migrant workers, and gays hasn’t got a clue as to the truth.
His charecterisation fot he town, which itsself was nohging but hate filled propoganda, was what upset me.
Zarove,
I agree that Rhea County is no more bigoted than many other places around the country. In fact, I said that in my message. I also agree that Tennessee is more progressive than many states. I enjoyed living in Tennessee.
Is Rhea County being treated unfairly?
That depends upon whether other counties in the United States are planning to do what Rhea County tried to do. The county officials sought to imprison or evict every same-sex-attracted Tennessean in the county. If you know of any other county in the United States that is planning similar action, please let us know.
If the residents of the county do the right thing and throw the antigay county officials out of office, then Rhea County’s reputation will improve significantly.
Is it fair to point out that the Rhea County farmers are mostly Protestant and the immigrants are mostly Catholic? Yes, I think so. With a few exceptions, the Protestant farmers’ moral beliefs in the 1980s were selective, self-serving, and occasionally a bit sadistic. They exploited the labor of the Catholic immigrants, even as they viewed the immigrants’ faith, language, and ethnicity with suspicion. The Protestant farmers did not want the Catholic immigrants to enjoy the benefits of U.S. residency and citizenship, which included workplace-safety rights, wage and benefit rights, and voting rights. My office had to work quietly with farmworkers and Catholic ministers, to avoid arousing the farmers and their churches.
Are all Protestant farmers like that? No, of course not. But unfortunately, there is a tendency among “inerrantist” and “literalist” churches to violate Scriptural demands for economic, sexual, and social justice. This type of inerrantist uses the Bible to engage in namecalling and discrimination against others, while failing to heed the Book in one’s own life.
Zarove,
I agree that Rhea County is no more bigoted than many other places around the country.
{The point is that Rhea county isnt as bad as he claiemd it was. He flat out lied in fact. its an old ploy. “These are the types of peolel who hate gays. Their also racist slave owners who also hate evi;lution.”
its slander, pure and simple. He wanted ot make Rhea county look EVEN WORSE, so that everyne who loved here woudl look like a Bigoted and bakcward, uneducated fool. His own Bigotry is worse than what he complains about.}-Zarove
In fact, I said that in my message. I also agree that Tennessee is more progressive than many states. I enjoyed living in Tennessee.
{If you have ever been to Rhwea cohty, then you know, beyond a cshadow of a doubt, that the fisrst post LIED. Heck, if he wanted anti-gays and bigots, he shoudl have gotten onto Pikevlles case. Or else Crossville. Not rhea county.}-Zarove
Is Rhea County being treated unfairly?
{Yes. He LIED about how we mistreated evolution teachers. He LIED about us mistreatign migrant workers. All to make us look worse so he could pretend to be mroally superior.}-Zarove
That depends upon whether other counties in the United States are planning to do what Rhea County tried to do.
{Couldnt of problems withhtat statement. Firts of rhea couty didnt try to do anyhting. It was a joke. I dont care what miss bacon the “Only openlhy gay person in rhea county” said. rhea county is a small place that dosnt treat its vgovnerment serisouly. Theyw here just hordign around.
The second is, Homosexualit isnt by default mroally right. No, I am not a Bogot, but I read over this site, and I find that all ex gays are treated badly here,a nd anyone who voices moral concern over it is considered pure evil.
So much is this hatred for the opposing veiw, in fact, that you wont even allow the resemblanceof a legitimate debate on the mroal issue.
Likewise, Rhea county never actually panned on runnign gays out. It was only a joke, as I said. If you live in Tennessee I invite you to com and prove it for yourself. in fact I imp;ore yo to.}-Zarove
The county officials sought to imprison or evict every same-sex-attracted Tennessean in the county.
{No, they didn’t. It wasnt meant to be taken serisouly. Again, come and find out for yourself if you live i tennessee.}-Zarove
If you know of any other county in the United States that is planning similar action, please let us know.
{Why shoudl I? Beign gay is morally OK, thinkign its nto mroally OK makes someone a Bigot. thinking Ex Gays deserve respect for their desision makes you a Bigot. }-Zarove
If the residents of the county do the right thing and throw the antigay county officials out of office, then Rhea County’s reputation will improve significantly.
{ Again, why is any opposiiton to Homosexualoty wrong? Why is it the right thing to toss out these people? They are likely on their way out anyway, but why is it that you CANNOT oppose Homosexuality? Do NOT link this to racism, their is NO proof that beign Gay is genetic.}-Zarove
Is it fair to point out that the Rhea County farmers are mostly Protestant and the immigrants are mostly Catholic? Yes, I think so.
{Then yout an idiot. Msot Migrant farmenrs arent catholic. And besides, i kno of a coupl of mexicans that BOUHGT land and now employ migrant workers. These “Poor mistreater workers” are makoign more money that I do.}-Zarove
With a few exceptions, the Protestant farmers’ moral beliefs in the 1980s were selective, self-serving, and occasionally a bit sadistic.
{I lived in Dayitn int he 1980’s, and htis is a false accusation. Quiet bluntly, the migrant workers who where her eint eh 1980’s will back me up on it.}-Zarove
They exploited the labor of the Catholic immigrants, even as they viewed the immigrants’ faith, language, and ethnicity with suspicion.
{I dare you to find an example of this. Again, I lived here durign that peirod and never saw it. in fact, mexicans wher always treated farly, and no one mocked their religion, or their language, or their ethnicity.
This is just a lie to make rhea county look even worse, and I know its a lie becuase as I dsaid, i live here.}-Zarove
The Protestant farmers did not want the Catholic immigrants to enjoy the benefits of U.S. residency and citizenship, which included workplace-safety rights, wage and benefit rights, and voting rights.
{Yes thei hated catholics and mexicans. They where racists and evil…
And its the same mentality withhte gays.
Sorrty, this si the sort of propoganda that i object to. Its, again, a lie. we have a cahtolic Chruch in towwn. itds been here for decades. The mexicans love rhea county and always have. Rhea is more fair tot hem than any of the surroundign county. They where NEVER looked on with derision or suspicion for either their language, their race, or their religion.
And many f them arent catholic. So no, it wasnt fair to brign that up.
Nor was it relevant tot he “Anti-Gay” counsilors. It was only a ploy to make rhea county look EVEN WORSE so the auhtor counld claim moral superiority.}-Zarove
My office had to work quietly with farmworkers and Catholic ministers, to avoid arousing the farmers and their churches.
{I sould love to see the records for that period. No offence but I really dont think the “Bigotry” in rhea cny is as bad as you say, nor do I beleive much of what you claim.}-Zarove
Are all Protestant farmers like that? No, of course not. But unfortunately, there is a tendency among “inerrantist” and “literalist” churches to violate Scriptural demands for economic, sexual, and social justice.
{Yeah so much so that when recently the wealthiest farmer in he ocuny died, you counlt even attend his funeral because so many peiel visited him. Inclusing mexicans. he helped everyone. He even csold one of them his own farm to start his own buisness on.
Also, your own hatred and bigotry agaisnt fundamentalsit Christaisn is itsself appauling.}-Zarove
This type of inerrantist uses the Bible to engage in namecalling and discrimination against others, while failing to heed the Book in one’s own life.
{1: This is a lie. It doesnt happen all that oftenin rhea cojtny dis;ite your claim of first hand experience.
2: its irrelevant tot he gay issue, and is used only to reinforce the false image of Rhea county that its backward.
Your initial article was filled wiht hatred and vitolol.
Now its not because you wan tot sound reasonable. also abcent is the scopes reference.
reemmeber your clsijg lines, you said, fircefully, for us to leave ev;lution yeachers, migrant workers,a nd gays alone. Well, guess what? We have had ipenly gay high school yeachers for 20 years. He have rish mexicans who got rich off of hard work and detemrination who didnt need you. and the scopes trial was clearly an attemto to boost tourism.
So you lost all respect when you try to say ” These peopel are c;losed midned Bigots” then read a litany of charges that leads up to Gay Bashing, all to reflect how suporiot you happen to be.
Rhea county is a safer, and less discriminatory, place to live than the bulk of the USA. Its never had a race problem, ever. In fact, as noted, we desegregated before most major US Areas.
So again, shove yoyr hatred and uninformed opinion about how bakcward and unintellegent Rhea county is, and stop makign false claism about bigoty and hatred wher enone exist.
Your own Bigotry agaisnt ex gays makes oen sick. ( Oh thats right, no such thing…)}-Zarove