Straight allies and LGBT citizens reach out to protestors in Greenville, SC

by: Pam Spaulding

Mon Oct 15, 2007 at 06:00:00 AM EDT

The grassroots effort of allies to show support for LGBT citizens that took place over the last week, Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, was a very visible success as vigils were held around the country. The outreach was organized by Soulforce and Atticus Circle.


About 75 Greenville residents gathered for the Seven Straight Nights celebration in Greenville,  S.C., on Oct. 8 in downtown.

One of the Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights gatherings was held on October 8 in Greenville, South Carolina, and Faith in America has passed on photos and coverage of what transpired there, as those at the vigil faced protestors from a local church.

When the voices of straight allies unite with those of their gay and lesbain friends, family and co-workers, the shrill voices of religion-based bigotry can't stand up against reason and heart-felt conviction. That's what happened last Monday in downtown Greenville, S.C.

It was a beautiful night for Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights in Greenville, S.C. on Oct. 8. But when a van full of anti-gay protesters from a Greenville community church showed up, the special event's celebratory mood was maligned by the anti-gay group's attitudes of  intimidation and confrontation.

Strolling back and forth yelling out that gay and lesbian people were doomed to hell, one of the leaders of anti-gay protesters continued his booming tirade of hate toward gay and lesbian citizens. 

After the initial intimidation - which is what the protesters were all about - several of the people gathered for the Seven Straight Nights event approached the protesters and began questioning the message and their tactics. 

Jon and Dawn Kennedy were two of those people at the celebration. Their brother, Sean Kennedy, died May 16, 2007 in Greenville, S.C., after being struck by a man who reportedly called Sean a faggot before striking Sean with such force that it crushed the bones in his face. Sean died from the one fatal blow. 

Sean's mother was present at Seven Straight Nights and was one of the event's several speakers, including Faith In America Executive Director Jimmy Creech. 

When Sean's brother and sister politely told the leader of the anti-gay protesters that their brother was killed and that their hateful speech promotes violence toward gay and lesbian people, the protester flatly and unemotionally told Jon and Dawn Kennedy that their brother "was burning in hell right now." 

That was too much for one of straight allies standing next to the young Kennedys who asked the angry protester just what Christian church he was representing. Another straight ally also proceeded to chastise the protesters for their hateful words and signage.

 
A group of people attending the Seven Straight Nights event gathered after the event to stand across the street from the angry anti-gay churchgoers. 

The anti-gay churchgoers appeared somewhat taken aback by the group of heterosexuals who were standing there disagreeing with their message and their tactics. 

One of the other leaders of the group from Zachary Baptist Church was asked why they would come out and harass a peaceful demonstration instead of reserving their hateful sermon for their fellow church members. 

"Because the queers are out here," exclaimed the church group leader. "They aren't in the church." 

And with words and an attitude such as that, is it any wonder? 

Another straight ally told that same anti-gay churchgoer that he was a Christian and he did not agree with the anti-gay churchgoers message. The straight ally was promptly told by one of the Bible-toting churchgoers that a person could not be a Christian and a straight ally of gay and lesbian individuals. 

WRONG. 

It was obvious by listening to some of the straight allies gathered for the event that numerous of them did belong to a Christian church and were eager to differeniate their inclusive faith with the nonaccepting and condemning attitudes displayed by the Zachary Baptist group. 

When the Seven Straight Nights ceremony began, police asked the anti-gay churchgoers to move across the street. 

A very poignant and moving ceremony preceded with 1,138 candles being lighted to represent the 1,138 rights being denied to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. 

Creech's address on religion-based bigotry against gay and lesbian people was particularly relevant considering the 10-12 white, mostly middle-aged males holding their offensive signs just across the street. One of the church leaders had a sign that read "God Abhors You."

   
During his address, Creech reminded attendees that such displays of bigotry and hate are no different than those attitudes and actions once used against African-Americans to justify slavery and segregation or those used against women to deny them the right to vote.

Creech was interviewed by a local television news team during the event. The reporter questioned him about the gathering of anti-gay churchgoers. 

"This is a demonstration of hate in the disguise of religion and it makes me very sad," Creech said. 

*** 

Faith In America meets Erin Davies and her Fagbug 

If you have friends who seem to think that violence against gay and lesbian citizens isn't pervasive in our society, you need to introduce them to Erin Davies and her Fagbug. 

Erin Davies, a student at Sage College in New York, was targeted by anti-gay vandals when her VW Beetle was sprayed with the words "U R gay" and fag" in mid-April, most likely because the vehicle has a rainbow sticker affixed to its bumper. The incident occurred on the national "Day of Silence" in which students across the country use silence as a means to bringing awareness to intolerance and homophobia.

  Instead of having the car cleaned up, Davies says she plans to use it to spread a message of tolerance and take it on a cross-country trip this summer with the hateful messages still emblazoned across its windows.

  Erin attended the Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights in Greenville, S.C. last week and it was there that she reported the awful news that she had been the victim of another painful - and potentially serious attack - in her hometown of Tampa, Fla. 

On Oct. 4, just a week before arriving in Greenville, S.C., someone threw a brick through the window of her home in Tampa and the back window of her car parked there. 

She isn't easily deterred by acts of violence. 

Erin was the first person to walk up to the loud, intimidating anti-gay churchgoers in downtown Greenville and begin asking them questions as well as filming them for a documentary she is working on. 

Despite the second act of violence perpetrated against her in Tampa on Oct. 4, Erin and her Fagbug are on the road again this week.