Standing up for marriage
Live blogging from Stand Up to Protect Marriage at Thanksgiving Point . . .
Tonight is the Sutherland Institute's response to the Common Ground Initiative, which would ensure gay rights, and is being slowly throttled in the Legislature:
Jude McNeil and three friends had signed up. She works for the Pride Center in Salt Lake City and identifies herself as "queer." But she says she just wants to listen to the presentation.
Nevertheless, she and her friends — who were on the RSVP list – were bounced. "Obviously, it was the way we looked," she says.
But Sutherland Institute spokesman Jeff Reynolds says they were kicked out because they were, indeed, on a list — one that the Sutherland Institute had intercepted from Facebook. A list of gays who were going to "infiltrate" the meeting.
"They almost bounced you," I tell him.
"I noticed," Falks says, laughing.
Tonight is the Sutherland Institute's response to the Common Ground Initiative, which would ensure gay rights, and is being slowly throttled in the Legislature:Like our friends and families in California, it's now our turn to Stand Up to Protect Marriage here in Utah.Paul Mero opens the meeting:
We gather here tonight, as responsible citizens do . . . to learn, to renew our faith in Democracy, to reason together wisely . . .Conveniently, the Sutherland Institute carefully has kept out any dissenting voices in this reasoning skull session. I watched as anyone with a beard or halfways trendy clothing was scrutinized by Thanksgiving Point security guards and turned back to be rechecked against lists of names.
Jude McNeil and three friends had signed up. She works for the Pride Center in Salt Lake City and identifies herself as "queer." But she says she just wants to listen to the presentation.
I wanted to hear what they had to say. I was going to listen respectfully and civily. I wasn't even going to ask a question.McNeil, who doesn't look particularly queer, even stayed clear of the demonstrators at the T-Giving Point's entrance. "I was not going to cause a disruption."
Nevertheless, she and her friends — who were on the RSVP list – were bounced. "Obviously, it was the way we looked," she says.
But Sutherland Institute spokesman Jeff Reynolds says they were kicked out because they were, indeed, on a list — one that the Sutherland Institute had intercepted from Facebook. A list of gays who were going to "infiltrate" the meeting.
I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be disruptive. I'm not going to risk a disruption.Aaron Falk, a Deseret News reporter (That's God's newspaper!), apparently looks too hip for T-giving security's taste. They turn him back to be rechecked against the lists.
"They almost bounced you," I tell him.
"I noticed," Falks says, laughing.
9 Comments:
Glen....send me the address where I can send the SI money to support their cause to protect the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman! I missed out on supporting prop 8.....I will give them $10k!
I remember when these same kind of folks excluded Blacks and Indians.
I guess the "Curse of Cain" is now on Gays and Lesbians. It's "God's will."
Glen, dude, I told 'em to bounce you!! :)
Hey, how come you didn't come over and say hi?
So, they were checking names and turning away people based solely on their appearance?
You mean because they didn't look mormon enough? Or Utah county enough? Or republican enough?
(cold shiver down my spine)
"McNeil, who doesn't look particularly queer..." What do queers look like? Is there a guide so that we can tell the difference? You might check out the artwork at BYU that showed pairs of people at BYU--one who was gay and one who was not. I think folks would have a hard time discriminating between them (solely based on appearance, of course, queers face legal discrimination in this state).
Perhaps mainstream would have been a better adjective.
And the dear anonymous poster who wants to support prop 8 should be reminded that we know the names of exactly who supported prop 8 and where they live. See http://www.eightmaps.com/
So Paul Mero really exists? I always thought he was a hologram, like Max Headroom of the Ray-guns era.
To Anon @ 1:50 am...
We didn't permit entrance to our private event from anyone who self-selected to join the Facebook network "Protest and Infiltrate the Sacred Ground Initiative."
Does that really seem unreasonable? Seriously?
And so my pal Glen, here, can't report on the substance of the messages shared...but ONLY on the few people who were rightly turned away.
Next thing you know, he'll write about the "protesters" who WERE in the room, who sat quietly and civilly...as "the pillars of civility" -- as if that is exceptional behavior...like congratulating a child for behaving themselves at the store! Maybe the better story is that 700 other people were able to do so without having to be reminded.
Paul Mero is scary. SI is made up of 90% BYU alum (cold shiver down my spine too, anom 1:50). These are people who don't realize that they will soon be seen as racists are seen now.
Scuter
Check out the Sutherland Institute YouTube clips that they uploaded showcasing their star attraction, Paul Mero.
One clip in particular caught my attention. It's titled: "Political Freedom Comes From Doing What we Ought to Do"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiOnPz-7n0E
Head to around the 2:36 mark.
Yup, those would be swastikas.
What Paul & Co. are attempting to pull off with their "Sacred Ground" campaign is blatant FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). That's no surprise, but what is surprising is that they themselves recognize that their own case is so weak that they've been reduced to relying on Nazi-era visual aids to get the job done.
The day is fast approaching when Paul Mero, LaVar Christensen, Gayle Ruzicka and Chris Buttars can all be safely ignored while the grown-ups sit down and map out policy.
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