Michael Marcavage and his antigay Repent America group await a Dec. 14 hearing on several felony and misdemeanor charges related to their raid against OutFest, a Philadelphia gay street festival.
Marcavage has not drawn headlines recently in the Philadelphia newspapers or gay media. But his efforts (covered here by XGW) drew praise yesterday from Focus on the Family.
Predictably, Focus portrays the disruption of entertainment festivals as heroic when done by antigay activists, but "militant" or "intolerant" when done by gay-affirming faith groups like Soulforce. Focus stereotypes the OutFest attendees as "shirtless gay men in leather."
It remains difficult for observers to determine what really happened at OutFest, and whether some of the criminal charges are justified.
Addendum: OutFest’s photo gallery indicates that some attendees wore leather; most did not. Focus stereotyped the crowd. Why Focus sees something wrong with men in leather remains unclear: If Pat Boone can wear it, then why not some gay people?
Addendum, Dec. 14: In her comment here, Sharon B. links to a 365gay.com report that Repent America attempted to disrupt on-stage events and shout down festivalgoers.
So from a gallery of photos where many of the participants were fully clothed “normal” looking folks, and even some church groups and kids, Focus stereotypes the whole group from a couple of pictures of shirtless men? Interesting.
So. Focus reads this blog?
Tell Dobson his plan to save my kids with ADF-Sears’ lawyers has ended with both of them being medicated on psychotropic drugs and the youngest is now doubting God. You left them in charge of a mentally ill woman who ended up marrying and then being divorced by an abusive husband. Nice job.
Your lies about this story on your and the ADF’s website and using it to get donations is despicable.
I pray daily that your empire will implode as a result of your worship of power. You will never know how many lives you have nearly destroyed, on your little mission to save America.
Focus on [the log in] your own family[‘s eye]!
Mike, you can delete this if you must, I had to get this off my chest. I truly hate what Focus has become.
It’s really sad that they apparently don’t understand what it means to stereotype, and thought that providing the link was a defense to that charge. I’m sure they wouldn’t have so much trouble seeing the problem if Christians were the ones being stereotyped.
I am a lesbian and I was there at that prdie parade, and that group was peaceful. A group of queens began harrasing them not the other way around as the gay crowd became louder and bigger, the police arrested them for saftey reasons, and because some lied and said they attacked them. This was not true I saw it and many other gay people saw it, some who im sure will be willing to testify. I thouth the 1st ammendmet ment something, obvisously not. So when gays are arrested at the next Love Won Out dont say we did not ask for it.
Jessica,
Your pseudonym, spelling errors, fake e-mail address, and illogical comparison to Love Won Out do not help your credibility.
You mix apples and oranges. OutFest was an entertainment event for sexual minorities; Love Won Out is a political event sponsored by the religious right to promote discrimination, criminalization, and social ostracism.
If you had compared Repent America to gay protesters disrupting a church barbecue festival (and I don’t know any who would), then your conclusion might have begun to seem logical.
Mike: You got it dead-on: All the Focus types want is discrimination, criminalization, and ostracism. Most of their x-gay orgs are just lipstick on the pig!
Dunno how impartial this report is of what transpired.
But according to it, the Marcavage group disrupted the activities when they “marched to the front of a stage at Outfest and began to yell out Biblical passages to drown out the events on stage.
Police attempted to get the protestors to move to to an area on the edge of the site. Instead they went deeper into the gay crowd. Using a bullhorn they condemned homosexuality. They then got into an argument with a group of Pink Angels, who screamed back.
It was at that point police intervened arresting the 11.”
A little different picture of what happened than you hear out of the Focus propaganda machine.
I just viewed the video of what happened at the antigay Repent America site. Link: https://www.afa.net/clp/videos/philly11.wmv
I must say that the article in 365gay.com is not accurate, and that Marcavage and his antigay group was the ones be disrupted by the Pink Angels.
Chuck Volz even told the Philadelphia Gay News in an article prior to OutFest that “a security force known as the Pink Angels will carry large signs alongside the protesters to block their access to OutFest participants.” “We’ll have a moving pink wall around them [protesters]… Hopefully, they [protesters] will be so frustrated, they won’t come again. Talking to a piece of Styrofoam is not the same as talking to a crowd of people.” (Philadelphia Gay News October 8-14)
I sorry guys, but I believe free speech is so important to the gay movement that we must not allow foolish queers to ruin it for the rest of us. The Pink Angels were wrong and should have been arrested. The antigay group has ever right of being there, regardless of how much I may or anyone else may despise them.
Steve:
I saw the video, too. I don’t think the angels were being that obnoxious. I could plainly hear Marcavage and the Police talking above the Angels’ whistle noise. From the video, the Angels do not appear to be unconstitutionally infringing on Marcavage’s and RA’s right to free speech. Remember, the 1st Amendment deals with *Government* suppression of free speech (only the police, as an agent of government could have been infringing on anyone’s rights here). The Angels are within their right to post a counter-demonstration as long as it is peaceful.
I cannot vouch for the “in front of the stage” part of RA’s actions as carried in 365Gay, but the part …
“the Police attempted to get the protestors to move to an area on the edge of the site. Instead they went deeper into the gay crowd. Using a bullhorn they condemned homosexuality. They then got into an argument with a group of Pink Angels, who screamed back.
It was at that point police intervened arresting the 11.”
…seems to be correct (don’t remember the argument part, but the rest is correct from the video). RA defied the police instructions and passively resisted arrest. They were significantly close to the stage that their use of a bullhorn would have been reasonably interpreted as disruptive.
They RA do have a right to protest and free speech… they do not have a constitutionally protected right to be free of peaceful counter-protest, and most certainly do NOT have a constitutional right to be disruptive.
From yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer:
“City officials said the video did not show the start of the confrontation, when they said Marcavage tried to interrupt a performance with his antigay preaching and then disobeyed a police order to move to the perimeter of the Outfest to avoid the potential for violence.”
A local conservative talk show host here in Houston by the name of Pat Gray brought this story up today on his show. Unfortunately, I was walking into work when the story was getting started. But, the host prefaced the story by saying that some Christians were reading their bible and praying, and that the city was trying to persecute the Christians. He also had a lawyer on from the AFA saying that this was persecution and the videotape shows how peaceful the protest was. Interesting stuff. I guess you can’t expect to get a clear picture of something from a conservative talk show.
That interview would have been interesting to hear. As I already stated, I watched the video online and saw nothing that Marcavage was doing as wrong, but rather the Pink Angels blocking and harassing his group.
Steve- As I mentioned, I only got to hear the preface to the interview, but I could tell from the get go that it was pretty one sided.
I do think that it is worth noting what Mike said about the city officials claiming that the video did not show the beginning of the confrontation. Further more, since this was a pride event, I am assuming that the pride group had a permit to put on such an event and that the Marcavage group would not have been able to receive a conflicting permit.
Furthermore, the Marcavage group obeyed direct orders by the police to keep their distance for safety reasons.
So, this event doesnt seem to be as clear cut and rights violating as you and the talk show host seem to make it out to be.
Furthermore, saying that the group was just praying and reading the bible leaves out the bull horns and signs claiming the hell-boundedness of gay people.
TA– I do note the city officials claiming that the video did not show the begninning of the confrontation. However, it is hard for me to believe there was any type of significant “confrontation” if the police allowed them to enter, and didn’t charge them until after they were well into the event, moving to where the police told them to, and then charging them with 3 felonies, and 5 misdeamenors because Marcavage refused to move outside of OutFest for “saftey” reasons. I don’t agree with necessity for a permit since the permit that the OutFest people had was for booths, selling stuff, etc. It was obvious that they were not just praying and reading from the Bible, but they did have antigay banner, which were just verses from the Bible. What exact crimes do you see in the video? I cannot conclude any. The police were way out of line on this one. I could only imagine if it were us at a “Christian” rally somewhere… what if the police did that to us. The nation would be up in arms! They were unfairly targeted for whatever reason. Regardless of how much I oppose their message, I believe they have the right to preach it.
Steve- I would have to hear the totality of the state’s case to know what the reason for charging some of the participants with the offenses mentioned. I did notice that charges were dropped for many of the participants. I guess I will have to wait until the trial begins to know more details.
As for the banners- I have seen plenty of anti-gay banners at gay events, and none of them were merely bible versus. I havent ever heard a “megaphone preacher” that only preached love either. If the banners were anything similar to what I have seen, I would venture to guess they were a little more strongly worded than just bible versus.
As for the video- I don’t see any outright crimes (unless they were directly violating a police order), but as noted, that may not be the whole story. I just have trouble jumping to call this police persecution without hearing the state’s full claims, and I am not sure why you are jumping to such seemingly early conclusions.
As for this type of “persecution” happening to gays- it happens quite often. Ask organizations such as Soulforce about being arrested for silent prayer or the ACLU for cases where simple protesting by gays has led to arrests.
I can also only imagine the outrage from right wing types if a gay group tried to demonstrate with large banners and megaphones right in the front of a Christian type of event. If the tables were turned to give this scenario, I can only imagine that the requests to move by police and subsequent arrests to follow would have been similar.
TA– I agree that we must hear the Commonwealth’s case to decide. Remember, a person still is innocent until proven guilty. So right now, Marcavage and the others are innocent. The Commonwealth has to prove that he and the others, beyond a reasonable doubt, that their actions were in violation of all those laws. The Commonwealth has a hard case to prove here. I did watch the video once again and the arrests came ONLY after Marcavage refused to go to Walnut Street. If, he and the others committed these three felonies and misdeamnors prior to his refusal to go to Walnut Street, why did they wait to arrest them at that point? It makes no sense, and 47 years in jail sound outrageous. Come on guys, Marcavage wasn’t wrong on this one. I just can’t see it, even though I want to.
“Come on guys, Marcavage wasn’t wrong on this one. I just can’t see it, even though I want to. ”
Steve- I am having trouble with that statement. You say you want him to be wrong, but you have done nothing but give Margrave the benefit of every doubt (without even seeing the state’s case), and you have given the police the benefit of no doubt at all. If you really wanted Margrave to be in the wrong so bad, I would think you would at least wait until both sides had presented their full version of the events before accusing the police of persecution.
As for the arrests- charges were dropped on some of the people, but not others. That leads me to think that some individuals may have been more active in this protest than the AFA is letting on. Also, if Marcavage and his group refused a police order to move, that would at least warrant a misdemenar in and of itself, would it not.
Again, though, do you really think it is ok for this group to take bull horns and large signs in front of the stage for a licensed/permitted event and try to drown out the festivities? Should the police just have allowed them to completely interrupt an even that the city had already permitted to go on?
TA– I understand what you are saying. The problem here is that if Marcavage is wrong and his actions, in your own words, “would at least warrant a misdemenar in and of itself”, then the Pink Angels would warrant a host of misdemenars. I cannot get over the video evidence. It is clear after watching the film Marcavage is coming into the event with he and the others antigay associates and are blocked by the Pink Angels and harrassed continously. He even asked the police where he could go initially and was told by an officer that he can go where ever he wanted because they were public streets and sidewalks. I ask you, how in the world can an officer of the law first tell Marcavage that he and his group can go where ever they wanted, and then because in the end he didn’t want to be led out be charged with 3 felonies and 5 misdemeanors? I just can’t get it. Marcavage had every right to be there and travel throughout the event regardless of where the police told him to go. We often face this same problem when protesting conservatives. The police want us to go to one place and we want to be in another where we can be heard! Once again, Marcavage was not arrested until he refused to leave the event. I am familar with that area of Philadelphia and it was clear that the police were leading them out!
>> Also, if Marcavage and his group refused a
police order to move, that would at least war
rant a misdemenar in and of itself, would it
not.
Oh, to answer your question (above)…
The charges he is reported in receiving DO NOT include “failure to obey a police order”, if that is a crime in Pennsylvania. Police can ONLY give lawful orders, and just because the police felt like telling the Marcavage group to leave, doesn’t mean that they could have legally done so. It is like the police coming in to a right-wing public event and telling gay protestors to leave because they don’t like them or their message. Just because the police don’t like gays, doesn’t mean they can issue orders to force them out. There is no crime.
So Steve, you think it is appropriate and safe for a group of protestors to go in front of a legally permitted stage where entertainment is taking place, and try to drown out the festivities with bullhorns and signs? That seems a bit disorderly to me, and if groups were allowed to do this on a regular basis, I think we would have a very large problem with violence.
I can imagine when it is ever appropriate for people to try to block the front of a permitted stage and drown out the entertainment, whatever their motivation or beliefs.
Protesting on the sides or in the crowd is one thing, but this is quite another.
TA said– So Steve, you think it is appropriate and safe for a group of protestors to go in front of a legally permitted stage where entertainment is taking place, and try to drown out the festivities with bullhorns and signs?
No, I don’t. But that is not what happened. The entertainment didn’t even start yet. Listen in the background of the video that it was about to start, and once again, the police officer told Marcavage he could go where ever he wanted, and then they did obey the police and move again to where the officer said, which was not near the staging area. So where do you get 3 felonies out of this, or even 5 misdeamenors TA? I really would like to know what felonies you can find and other misdeamenors aside from “disorderly conduct”? It is simply outrageous. I protested at the RNC in NYC and was arrested on bogus charges, so I know that the police don’t have a clue as to the 1st Amendment guarantees. Again, from what I can see in the video, the Pink Angels were the loudest and interrupting the antigay protesters, why weren’t they arrested? I don’t care if they are gay or not, that’s not the point. They were free to interrupt the Marcavage group. Free speech needs to be protected on both sides, not just on the side we agree with.