Well, we outnumbered them. Concerned Women for America's bus tour attracted about 60 people yesterday, according to the estimate in the Daily Herald article--and that seems a bit high, actually--despite the fact that Alan Keyes spoke. Yes, I saw Alan Keyes. He really can just talk and talk and talk without saying anything meaningful. And yes, one protester did have a sign that read, "Do you hate your daughter, Mr. Keyes?"
Unfortunately, a lot of small children were among the 60 participants. Do you think they understood why they were holding up "Protect Marriage Now" signs and listening to angry men and women shout about unnatural sex and a life "haunted by the possibility of a child" while the wind chill dipped below 30 degrees?
Anyhow, despite the cold, at least 100 people turned out in response to the call I posted on Friday, though none of them came as a result of my posting it. The Elmhurst College kids, expecting no one from off their campus to pay attention to their invitation, were stunned when people with signs started showing up, and their well-laid, dean-endorsed plans were quickly reconsidered; rather than staging a silent protest well out of earshot of the anti-gay rally, most of us who weren't affiliated with the school got right up next to the small, freezing band of bigots and shouted slogans as they railed against us for destroying their civilization for 90 minutes. I've learned many new rhymes, including:
- Gay, straight, black, white: Equal marriage is our right!
- Gays and lesbians under attack. What do we do? Fight back!
- Do not teach your children hate!
- Racist, sexist, anti-gay: Born-again bigots, go away!
- Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia's got to go!
I wish I had pictures of the event to share with you; you could see the sign I spent seven hours making Friday night and Saturday morning. It's re-usable! The base of wood and foam board is permanent, with posterboards carrying messages attached to the core using rubber cement so they hold strong during a protest but peel right off when I want to replace them. Yesterday's messages? "'Freedom means freedom for everyone' --Dick Cheney" and "Judge not lest ye be judged." Anyhow, there were many photographers there, so if I see a picture of the event online I'll post it. And if you see a picture of me, please let me know!
1 comment:
Well, let me just thank the Senator for his kind words about my family.
Sorry, I was channeling Dick Cheney for a second. You start quoting him on signs and next thing you know you're hiding in bunkers and fantasizing about Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein having a deep and meaningful relationship.
Seriously, thanks for the kind words. I don't think you caught the rhythm of my chant, though! It looks very silly, yes, but it has a certain parallelism when shouted that works, and the repetition in the first half highlights the futility of the woman's actions. What do you think she was praying for, after all? Either that we would all disappear or that we'd all suddenly find Jesus and repent our sick, sinning ways. She wanted to get up from her knees and find me kissing the lesbian next to me, and instead she found the lesbian next to me kissing the lesbian next to her. All the prayers in the world won't change what we are; the change will have to come on her end, in accepting what she cannot change rather than hating it. When that day comes, Mary Cheney won't have to worry about being a political football, and I won't have to stand out in the cold to defend my rights from lunatics like Alan Keyes. Won't that be a better world?
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