Charlotte Pride

[InitialD]

I was there taking photos for a couple of hours in the afternoon. It was a good time. I got to see my old roomie. She was hard at work making sure the peace was kept and deploying massive volunteer army. The counter-event was pretty tame. When they protest, they draw a response. When they just stand around singing and looking like they are bored, they get completely overlooked and ignored.

[waccamatt]

Every now and then I will engage in a back and forth with some of the anti-gay posters on the O site but it gets old. Fast. I tend to get riled up and sometimes it's just not worth it.

I still think Pride events are needed, especially in the more conservative regions of the country. A large segment of our LGBT population in Charlotte is closeted from family and employers. And those that are able to attend this weekend can have one day where they feel comfortable being honest with themselves and others.

I have no issue with the opposing side protesting us. They have just as much right to do so as I have with my anti-war, pro-gay, pro-choice, pro-union sign waving actions ( gosh I am a sign waving junkie ) However, in years passed they have crossed line to harassment. Two years ago I witnessed a "christian" following around a couple with their child screaming hellfire and damnation directed to the adults and the kid. Luckily, there is a well-honed volunteer Peace Keeping force that separated them. And the Charlotte Roller Derby Girls also run good inteference. I guess this is where Gateway Village being private property is a big bonus for our side. We have had out of control fundies escorted out before. As much as I would like for our Pride to be visible and back in public Marshall Park we would just be bumrushed again by the Concord crew and it would ruin the experience. One day I hope we will be able to get back there in the our "town square" in peace like other cities. After all this year's theme is "Out is In" and while GV is a very nice venue it's very "in" and not visible. It will be a great time nonetheless.

This year Michael Brown is supposedly leading a concurrent march of "thousands" that will have "intercessionary teams" to save all of us heathens. He claims there will be no bullhorn Fred Phelps style verbal assaults. We shall see. If I get approached I will just tell them they should also be picketing Red Lobster.

...and every clothing store!

[monsoon]

......

Saw a sample MECKPAC survey for incumbents. They added a question to get answers to reasons behind the years of inaction after the support we have given them. And why we should support them in the future if we get nothing in return? And they listed all the towns and counties in NC that have city level protections. Not all are considered liberal bastions either. I have been asking them these questions for years Maybe the implied threat of withholding donations willl work......

Better late then never I guess. I think they really need to start pushing those who claim to be our supporters more than worrying as much about the wing-nuts.

Thanks for the update on the event. Great to see 10K people show up.

[voyager12]

^ To that point, I was told at the MECKPAC booth that Nancy Carter sent back an indignant email wanting to know "why the gay community is taking this position". Referring to the last question on the survey asking why nothing has been proposed on the gay rights front citywide ,after years of donations and lip service. Well, voters support candidates for their platforms and expect them to deliver. Or at least bring us up on the agenda to get the conversation going and groundwork laid. The MECKPAC endorsed candidates won't even do that.

Pretty illuminating, they have gotten used to going to the MECKPAC fundraisers and smiling for the group picture, pocketing the check and feeling progressive and nice without having do act on anything to help us move forward. MECKPAC got complacent too and I am glad to see them getting more aggresive.

The City Atty and City Mgr are not going anywhere and remain aligned against us on employment, DP's and everything else. Given the deference that Council shows them, we are going to have to push Mayor Foxx ( if he wins) and we keep our majority, to stand up for us.

The Partners in Peace patrols at Pride were great at maintaining a safe and relaxed environment. There were greeters stationed along strategic points on Trade welcoming newcomers and thanking those that were leaving. Perfectly placed as buffers against the negative vibes flowing from across the street.

Edited July 27, 2009 by voyager12

[Temeteron]

CLT Pride seemed ALOT bigger this year than previous years.......and the protesters weren't as "In your face" as before......Still has room for improvement though.....

[monsoon]

^ To that point, I was told at the MECKPAC booth that Nancy Carter sent back an indignant email wanting to know "why the gay community is taking this position"....

Yeah, from the prospective of a member of the community, Nancy Carter has sat on her butt and done nothing in the years that she has been up there. Time to elect someone else. Especially time to dump a politician that takes this kind of position.

[kewlaidkiddd]

I had fun as always - nice to see that we picked up Logo on Time Warner (Though I'm not a subscriber any longer). I missed my Chicken on a Stick though - didn't see it at all while I was there. Happy there is a bojangles there now though - the constant flow of soda really helped out.

The Drag Show was awesome this year - it didn't feel as abbreviated as it had been feeling over the past couple of years.

Good Times

[Charlotteman]

I live near Seattle, so of course I wasn't at Charlotte pride.....500 christians showed up to harrass the event????

Lucky for those 500 that I don't still live in Charlotte. Because I would be organizing a peaceful group to go to their own home turf (their churches--on a Sunday) and harassing them in return. These christian groups are spouting pure hatred and bigotry. The public needs to know.

When someone flat out labels you an enemy and harrasses you, do you just shrink back in the corner to avoid confrontations with them, or do you fight back? I say fight back. All christians in Charlotte aren't like that group of 500; get them on our side too.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Charlotteman

[Norm2]

I wouldn't say that they were harassing the event, they were pretty peaceful, but they were very obviously there. You couldn't miss them.

[kewlaidkiddd]

Lol - Yes they were obviously there - I gave my two girlfriends hell because they both showed up wearing Red Shirts.

[InitialD]

I wouldn't say that they were harassing the event, they were pretty peaceful, but they were very obviously there. You couldn't miss them.

I'm not sure where the 500 number came from. It was more like 5 dozen at most. They had a little sing along and generally stood over on the church grounds looking bored. A few wandered over to the event and looked like they were having a great time... maybe they are converts now?

[voyager12]

The obnoxious attitude of most of the AA employees in Southend aside....it's great that American Apparel has put their "Legalize Gay Repeal Prop 8" shirts in their front window. Anyone seen if the SouthPark store is the same? I would assume so. It's a national campaign. And a store in the DC area had their windows smashed because of it.

They gave out freebies of these shirts at Pride but I grabbed mine too fast and it's way too big on me

Edited July 28, 2009 by voyager12

[Charlotte_native]

The obnoxious attitude of most of the AA employees in Southend aside....it's great that American Apparel has put their "Legalize Gay Repeal Prop 8" shirts in their front window. Anyone seen if the SouthPark store is the same? I would assume so. It's a national campaign. And a store in the DC area had their windows smashed because of it.

They gave out freebies of these shirts at Pride but I grabbed mine too fast and it's way too big on me

My partner bought us a pair a couple weeks ago. His pink, mine green!

[voyager12]

Passed in 1993, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law allows gay, lesbian and bisexual service personnel to serve in the armed forces as long as their sexual orientation is not publicly disclosed or discovered. As of 2008, more than 13,000 men and women have been fired from the military because of their sexual orientation, including more than 60 Arabic linguists and nearly 800 other service members in critical occupational fields.

TOWN HALL DETAILS:

WHAT: Public town hall discussion on the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

WHEN: August 5, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. EST

WHERE: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Main Library, Francis Auditorium, 310 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202

WHO: Town hall to feature remarks from:

-- Jarrod Chlapowski, a former U.S. Army Korean linguist who opted to not re-enlist because of DADT and is a public policy advocate at the Human Rights Campaign;

-- Alex Nicholson, a former U.S. Army Human Intelligence Collector discharged under DADT and current executive director of Servicemembers United;

-- Julianne Sohn, a former public affairs officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Reserve who left the Marine Corps in 2003 due to the strain of serving under the DADT policy. Two years later, Sohn was activated from the Individual Ready Reserve and served for another three years until she was forced to resign her commission under the DADT policy.

[voyager12]

While not related to Charlotte I wanted to mention the fatal shootings at the gay center in Tel Aviv. Have cousins there and it's a great city. Very friendly and welcoming to gays and a wide range of diversity. It's night and day compared to Jerusalem but given the country's size everything is interconnected. Would not be surprised if the gunman is an ultra-orthodox Jew. Their Shas Party is equivalent to the Pat Robertson wing of the Republican Party. If not a little worse with constant vitriol toward's Israel's majority secular and accepting culture. Maybe this horror will give them real pause.

[southslider]

The Charlotte protestors met at the First Baptist Church at 3rd & Davidson according to the web links. As another mentioned, I'd be interested in a peaceful protest when they are hosting a major event. Maybe wear blue shirts saying "Gay by God."

[Charlotte_native]

The Charlotte protestors met at the First Baptist Church at 3rd & Davidson according to the web links. As another mentioned, I'd be interested in a peaceful protest when they are hosting a major event. Maybe wear blue shirts saying "Gay by God."

I've always thought this should be the appropriate reverse move. Nothing violent or rude, just a big gay gathering across the street from the next revival. See how it feels to have someone take the time to disturb your event because we don't see eye to eye. I'm certain they wouldn't be receptive to the free-speech aspects with the tables turned.

My favorite, still by far, were the protestors a couple years ago at the HRC dinner who handing out anti-abortion literature. Were they too ignorant to understand how few abortions are performed as the result of unwanted pregnancies between same-sex couples? Trust me, if myself or my partner became pregnant the last thing we'd do is abort it!!

[monsoon]

Gays and Lesbians generally have better things to do than to get involved in the same vindictive tactics used by these people.

[southslider]

Was Stonewall vindictive?

[voyager12]

It's always seemed silly to me that our opponents say we should not be able to have children, since it would not constitute a "traditional" family. Yet, I don't see dedicated campaigns against single parenthood, or grandparents, or Uncles and Aunts raising children. Those are not "traditional"families either. I guess it's just easier to pick on a group that its's still open season on went it comes to discrimination.

That being said, I personally don't want kids now or in the future. I love being able to do my own thing and being on my own. And not being tied to someone else. I guess that's why I am a runaway boyfriend too And thrive being single

Raising kids is a challenge regardless of the composition. Gay couples with children in conservative areas have even more to contend with. CMS has a mixed record in this regard. It's good that the gay inclusive anti-bullying law is encoded into state law now. The onus is still on the affected kids and parents to make sure it's enforced when harassment occurs.

Edited August 5, 2009 by voyager12

[Charlotte_native]

Gays and Lesbians generally have better things to do than to get involved in the same vindictive tactics used by these people.

I don't see it as anything close to vindictive. The idea isn't revenge, but a demostration of a couple of things. 1) show how it feels to have someone try and invade or otherwise disturb your otherwise joyous occation. 2) show that it can go both ways. why should someone's church or venue to off limits if our events aren't off limits. 3) demonstrate that freedom of speech goes in both directions. if you can dish it out be ready to receive the same treatment.

nothing angry or vindicative about it. i think that is why we both posted that these counter demonstrations should be very calm and non-confrontational.

if we as a group have 'better things to do' then i guess we shouldn't be vocal or protest at all. i've read in other discussions of gay issues that the community is too silent...

[voyager12]

The harassment of a gay couple smoochin in front of the Mormon Temple in SLC has spawned "kiss ins" nationwide, deets on our event below......

Charlotte

Edited August 5, 2009 by voyager12

[Charlotte_native]

um, I guess this is an instance where it might be helpful to be dating someone Oh well

Or it could be your way to get a kiss from someone you've wanted one from for a while! Invite them, and just them, to the kiss in!!

[voyager12]

^ There is someone in particular I am friends with already. But I always seem to chicken out at the last minute when thinking of broaching the subject. Relationships that spring from friendships can be just perfect or perfectly awful. I don't know, I will think on it some more. Although that's what people tell me to stop doing and just ask. The worst that can happen is he says no and it's briefly awkward. Oh enough about me

I went to the "Voices of Honor" forum @ the uptown library last night. The program travels the region featuring soldiers discharged under DADT. Before last night, the issue seemed abstract but hearing about the turmoil and pain it engenders in real time, hit home in a big way.

Jennifer Roberts was there along with Dan Murray. Nancy Carter also attended. The two incumbents facing challengers that represent districts housing the most politically aware gay residents in the city start appearing at our events during election season. Patsy Kinsey was at the LGBT "Conversations" at the Levine last month. How shocking.

[monsoon]

I don't see it as anything close to vindictive. The idea isn't revenge, but a demostration of a couple of things. 1) show how it feels to have someone try and invade or otherwise disturb your otherwise joyous occation. 2) show that it can go both ways. why should someone's church or venue to off limits if our events aren't off limits. 3) demonstrate that freedom of speech goes in both directions. if you can dish it out be ready to receive the same treatment.

nothing angry or vindicative about it. i think that is why we both posted that these counter demonstrations should be very calm and non-confrontational.

if we as a group have 'better things to do' then i guess we shouldn't be vocal or protest at all. i've read in other discussions of gay issues that the community is too silent...

LOL. You continue to make logical fallacies. Nobody said we can't protest. But your idea of doing such, "if you can dish it out be ready to receive the same treatment", is nothing but revenge as much as you try to explain otherwise. The community as a whole has better things to do than to go and try to teach a few wing nuts something they are never going to learn. You have proven that some don't get this message and that is fine as I accept that is to be the case.