Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read about our experiences at the Knox County Fair. I am still reflecting on our experiences, but I am certain that our presence at the fair was an important outreach and educational endeavor. Even for those who did not choose to talk with us, just making ourselves visible in the community makes a statement. I am still overjoyed by the number of positive responses we received and by the support of the many volunteers who made this happen.
I am still sorting through all of our materials, but I can happily report that we collected:
--nineteen new email addresses and/or phone numbers for our mailing list
--$36.51, which will be split with the Delaware Gay-Straight Christian Alliance
We had plenty of literature available to passers by, and over 50 GSA pamphlets were taken. Of all of the rest of our literature, the "What the Bible Says (and Doesn't Say) about Homosexuality" booklets published by Soulforce, were the most popular.
So I'll end on a happy note. I am proud of our organization and glad to know that our hard work is making a difference. It may take some time, but I believe that in the end, we shall see justice.
Showing posts with label GSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GSA. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Day 7 - Saturday, August 1st (last day!)
1:41pm A lady stops by "What is the gay straight Christian alliance all about?" Tony explains. Lady: "Ok, well I just wanted to check." Tony then said, "We believe that God loves all people."
Lady: "That's right."
She continued to talk about how it's no big deal for her. She mentioned that she is a marketing person for a gutter company and asked about the Columbus Pride parade and festival. She explained that her company is thinking about having a booth there.
3:32pm A gentleman stopped by to tell is to continue the good work.
3:34pm Man walked by and put his arms up in the air and said "My people - they're here!" He was very positive.
4:25pm Two kids (about 8 or 9) asked about our booth. When Tony explained that we were straight and gay people who wanted to stop gay people from being hurt one of them said, "Oh, like racism." The other asked if we were all gay and Tony explained that some of us are and some of us aren't. He asked Tony if he and Larry were together and when he said no, one was straight and the other gay the little boy said/asked, "But you're friends?" They said "yes" and he took some literature and then said, "Ok, I'll go try and figure this out."
4:45pm A female college student stopped by to give positive reinforcement and take some information.
4:55pm Two families stopped by and got information and asked questions. The were very approving of what we are doing.
5:00pm Thom Collier (former State Rep for our district) waved as he walked past.
5:15pm A woman involved in HRC who knew Tony stopped by to chat for a while.
6:30pm Two young men walked by the booth and said "Knox County Gay Straight Alliance" disapprovingly. Then one of them shouted, "Silly faggot, dicks are for chicks."
Things slowed down dramatically after this. We had a few people stop by to say hello and take some literature (all friendly and positive). At 7:30pm we decided to pack up, talking down decorations and signs and putting away all the literature. Brett D. helped out, which was nice. He was a big help carrying things to the hill where we loaded them into the car. I hope to see him at some events this year.
Overall I think it was another successful year at the fair. I'll have to do some reflecting and write a final post later. Right now, I'm ready for bed!
Lady: "That's right."
She continued to talk about how it's no big deal for her. She mentioned that she is a marketing person for a gutter company and asked about the Columbus Pride parade and festival. She explained that her company is thinking about having a booth there.
3:32pm A gentleman stopped by to tell is to continue the good work.
3:34pm Man walked by and put his arms up in the air and said "My people - they're here!" He was very positive.
4:25pm Two kids (about 8 or 9) asked about our booth. When Tony explained that we were straight and gay people who wanted to stop gay people from being hurt one of them said, "Oh, like racism." The other asked if we were all gay and Tony explained that some of us are and some of us aren't. He asked Tony if he and Larry were together and when he said no, one was straight and the other gay the little boy said/asked, "But you're friends?" They said "yes" and he took some literature and then said, "Ok, I'll go try and figure this out."
4:45pm A female college student stopped by to give positive reinforcement and take some information.
4:55pm Two families stopped by and got information and asked questions. The were very approving of what we are doing.
5:00pm Thom Collier (former State Rep for our district) waved as he walked past.
5:15pm A woman involved in HRC who knew Tony stopped by to chat for a while.
6:30pm Two young men walked by the booth and said "Knox County Gay Straight Alliance" disapprovingly. Then one of them shouted, "Silly faggot, dicks are for chicks."
Things slowed down dramatically after this. We had a few people stop by to say hello and take some literature (all friendly and positive). At 7:30pm we decided to pack up, talking down decorations and signs and putting away all the literature. Brett D. helped out, which was nice. He was a big help carrying things to the hill where we loaded them into the car. I hope to see him at some events this year.
Overall I think it was another successful year at the fair. I'll have to do some reflecting and write a final post later. Right now, I'm ready for bed!
Day 6 at the Fair - Friday, July 31, 2009
I worked the evening shift once again - this time starting a little later so I could walk the dog between work and the fair (since Victoria is out of town). It was just Larry and I holding down the evening shift, and I could just sense that something was going to happen. But, before I get to that, let me fill you in on what took place earlier in the day.
3:00pm A young lady stops by just to chat. She seems to be a very happy and loving person.
3:15pm A lady comes by hurriedly and requests as much information as possible. The more she spoke the more we realized we didn't have the type of information she desired. She explained that she is the leader of a battered ladies group and that one lady there is a "dyke" and the woman at our booth is afraid of her (the "dyke").
3:20pm A young boy decides to donate a dollar to us.
4:00pm A group of young boys shout out "fags" but still stop to take some of our candy.
6:21pm Two young girls stop by and donate $3.00. "It shouldn't matter what gender you are or what gender you love," they explain.
6:47pm Jeanne, the one person who has commented on the blog so far, stopped by to say hello and to show her support. She mentioned that she really liked our "God" signs (some of the signs that Larry made to decorate the booth have a religious theme).
7:14pm Dylan S. stops by to say "hi" and ask how things are going. Again, it's great to be visited by friends.
8:00pm A lady walked by, stopped and just said "Are you guys for it or against it?"
Larry responded, "For it" and she just continued on her way.
8:15pm Larry was at the booth by himself while I stepped away to go to the bathroom and take a walk. He said some boys came up to the booth and started shouting "faggots" at him. Then, a few of the boys ran around to the back of the tent and started banging on the walls of it.
Ok, so now comes the busy part of the evening, which is ironic, because it all took place just as the big concert was getting started. Larry and I were both pretty well engaged from this point on, so I don't have thorough notes of the interation, but I'll explain what happened from my perspective.
8:31pm Two boys walk up to the booth, one 18, the other probably the same age, to ask us about our faith and how we could be both gay and christian. During the course of the conversation we learned that the boys are from the Presbyterian church in town. In the conversation, which I tried to stay out of since I am not a religious person, they started fired question after question to Larry about his beliefs.
Boys: "Don't you believe that this bible is the word of God?"
Larry: "As written by man, yes."
Boys: "If it is the word of God, then it is perfect and everything in here is true. You have to believe what's in here is true."
Larry: "Well, it was written by people, and I don't believe that all of it is true. It's not like God has a stenographer with him who actually wrote down what God said."
Boys: "Actually he did. It was written by men who were told what to write by the holy spirit." The conversation continued like this for a few minutes, touching on some things such as evolution. When Larry asked why there are no mentions of dinosaurs in the bible the boys correct him and point out that Job saw a dinosaur. Larry asked, "Don't you believe that the earth is billions of years old?" And the boys replied, "No. God created the world around 6,000 years ago." It was interesting to watch these boys work. One, the tall boy, was louder and more persistent, but not the brightest. He kept mixing up his scripture: "they do mention gays in the New Testament...it's right there in Peter," and "Jesus said there were two rules. Love your neighbor like yourself...and...and...I forget the other one." However, he was very confident in himself and his arguments, no matter how convoluted. "I'm destroying you guys right now!" he exclaimed. When I pointed out that it isn't very loving to "destroy" someone he quickly retorted, "Oh no, I love you. I just am destroying all your arguments." The other boy seemed to be quite smart and articulate. It was clear this was a game for them - like a debate, something to be won or lost. The had a response to everything, and showed little interest in listening to what Larry had to say. They didn't say hateful things, and they didn't bash us or make fun of us or anything, but they were very animated, raised their voices and were very keen to tell us, nay prove to us, we were wrong.
After the whole dinosaur discussion, I turned my attention elsewhere. A small group of teens has assembled, some by the boys talking to Larry (their friends) and then another small group off to the side. "Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to help yourself to any of the literature," I said to them. "Oh no thanks," they replied, "we're just listening." Turns out this group contained Mount Vernon High School students (and one recent graduate) who belonged to the Covenant Christian church in town. They asked if we've gotten a lot of reactions like we were getting from the two boys. "Last year people were more mean to us. This year we've just gotten a lot of people making religious arguments to us. I feel like I have half of Knox County praying for me at this point." Then they asked my about my personal faith. I told them I'm not a religious person, and while I think Jesus had some good ideas I don't believe he is the son of god. They seemed shocked to hear this - as if they'd never heard it before. "Aren't you saved?" one of them asked. My conversation with them was long but productive. I felt as if it was a genuine conversation. We were all listening to each other, learning about the other person's perspective and experience. They were much more conservative (evangelical) than I would have guessed, but weren't preachy, which was nice. For instance, when I explained that I didn't choose to be gay they seemed to understand that. But later in the conversation one boy said, "I can see how you might feel like you didn't have a choice. You seen, satan's minions are all around us, and they are devious and do devious things. I believe that they've convinced you that you are gay and that there is nothing you can do about it."
Later in the conversation I tried to engage them in more secular topics. I asked if they thought it was fair that GLBT folks can be discriminated against in house and employment. The agreed that it isn't fair. Then I asked about civil marriage and whether or not they think it is fair to deny that legal status to anyone. Some of them struggled with this question. They kept going back to religious marriage and talking about what God wants. I reminded them that I was talking about a legal status and nothing else. A few of them agreed that we should be allowed that status, but one boy still struggled. "I just have a really hard time taking the religious aspect out of it." Then that same boy mentioned the campaign against using the word gay to mean stupid (there is a clever ad campaign direct at teens that use the phrase "that's so gay" to mean "that's so stupid"). He said these ads were ineffective, that really we should just let it go in one ear and out the other and we'd be better off. I explained that I disagreed. That back in the day a lot of people though the blacks in the south would be better off if they just stayed quiet in the back of the bus." One of the girls then chimed in, "Yeah, if they aren't going to stand up for themselves, who is going to stand up for them?" Then, I asked them how they felt about people of other faiths - namely Muslims and Jews. "Well, really devout Muslims hate Christians. In the middle east if a Muslim sees a Christian he'll just pull out an AK-47 right away." I explained that this wasn't true and they didn't agree.
Just then Larry was finishing up with his group (which had multiplied like Gremlins in water) and I looked at my watch. It was 9:30pm meaning we had been at it for an hour. I told them we had to pack up and we all said goodbye. All in all it was a good conversation. They seemed like really good, if terribly misguided kids. Maybe it's the complete lack of diversity in Mount Vernon that accounts for some of the ignorance about people of other faiths. Whatever it is, it really needs to be rectified.
Here's what Larry had to say about his experience talking with the other group:
"Six boys jaunted by, eager to engage in a somewhat heated discussion regarding how they were really concerned about our welfare - that is how we could be Christian and claim to be homosexuals. Through their faith and 'Christianity' and homosexuality do not go hand in hand. 'Isn't the bible the literal word of God? And if someone does not believe that, then that person does not have faith in God's word. Homosexuality is not from God, nor are people born gay.' Many prayers were offered for our salvation. Some of the other comments made included: Job confronted a dinosaur which is described in the bible. Cavemen and women did not exist. Adam and Eve were pretty much like we are today. They didn't believe in evolution."
3:00pm A young lady stops by just to chat. She seems to be a very happy and loving person.
3:15pm A lady comes by hurriedly and requests as much information as possible. The more she spoke the more we realized we didn't have the type of information she desired. She explained that she is the leader of a battered ladies group and that one lady there is a "dyke" and the woman at our booth is afraid of her (the "dyke").
3:20pm A young boy decides to donate a dollar to us.
4:00pm A group of young boys shout out "fags" but still stop to take some of our candy.
6:21pm Two young girls stop by and donate $3.00. "It shouldn't matter what gender you are or what gender you love," they explain.
6:47pm Jeanne, the one person who has commented on the blog so far, stopped by to say hello and to show her support. She mentioned that she really liked our "God" signs (some of the signs that Larry made to decorate the booth have a religious theme).
7:14pm Dylan S. stops by to say "hi" and ask how things are going. Again, it's great to be visited by friends.
8:00pm A lady walked by, stopped and just said "Are you guys for it or against it?"
Larry responded, "For it" and she just continued on her way.
8:15pm Larry was at the booth by himself while I stepped away to go to the bathroom and take a walk. He said some boys came up to the booth and started shouting "faggots" at him. Then, a few of the boys ran around to the back of the tent and started banging on the walls of it.
Ok, so now comes the busy part of the evening, which is ironic, because it all took place just as the big concert was getting started. Larry and I were both pretty well engaged from this point on, so I don't have thorough notes of the interation, but I'll explain what happened from my perspective.
8:31pm Two boys walk up to the booth, one 18, the other probably the same age, to ask us about our faith and how we could be both gay and christian. During the course of the conversation we learned that the boys are from the Presbyterian church in town. In the conversation, which I tried to stay out of since I am not a religious person, they started fired question after question to Larry about his beliefs.
Boys: "Don't you believe that this bible is the word of God?"
Larry: "As written by man, yes."
Boys: "If it is the word of God, then it is perfect and everything in here is true. You have to believe what's in here is true."
Larry: "Well, it was written by people, and I don't believe that all of it is true. It's not like God has a stenographer with him who actually wrote down what God said."
Boys: "Actually he did. It was written by men who were told what to write by the holy spirit." The conversation continued like this for a few minutes, touching on some things such as evolution. When Larry asked why there are no mentions of dinosaurs in the bible the boys correct him and point out that Job saw a dinosaur. Larry asked, "Don't you believe that the earth is billions of years old?" And the boys replied, "No. God created the world around 6,000 years ago." It was interesting to watch these boys work. One, the tall boy, was louder and more persistent, but not the brightest. He kept mixing up his scripture: "they do mention gays in the New Testament...it's right there in Peter," and "Jesus said there were two rules. Love your neighbor like yourself...and...and...I forget the other one." However, he was very confident in himself and his arguments, no matter how convoluted. "I'm destroying you guys right now!" he exclaimed. When I pointed out that it isn't very loving to "destroy" someone he quickly retorted, "Oh no, I love you. I just am destroying all your arguments." The other boy seemed to be quite smart and articulate. It was clear this was a game for them - like a debate, something to be won or lost. The had a response to everything, and showed little interest in listening to what Larry had to say. They didn't say hateful things, and they didn't bash us or make fun of us or anything, but they were very animated, raised their voices and were very keen to tell us, nay prove to us, we were wrong.
After the whole dinosaur discussion, I turned my attention elsewhere. A small group of teens has assembled, some by the boys talking to Larry (their friends) and then another small group off to the side. "Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to help yourself to any of the literature," I said to them. "Oh no thanks," they replied, "we're just listening." Turns out this group contained Mount Vernon High School students (and one recent graduate) who belonged to the Covenant Christian church in town. They asked if we've gotten a lot of reactions like we were getting from the two boys. "Last year people were more mean to us. This year we've just gotten a lot of people making religious arguments to us. I feel like I have half of Knox County praying for me at this point." Then they asked my about my personal faith. I told them I'm not a religious person, and while I think Jesus had some good ideas I don't believe he is the son of god. They seemed shocked to hear this - as if they'd never heard it before. "Aren't you saved?" one of them asked. My conversation with them was long but productive. I felt as if it was a genuine conversation. We were all listening to each other, learning about the other person's perspective and experience. They were much more conservative (evangelical) than I would have guessed, but weren't preachy, which was nice. For instance, when I explained that I didn't choose to be gay they seemed to understand that. But later in the conversation one boy said, "I can see how you might feel like you didn't have a choice. You seen, satan's minions are all around us, and they are devious and do devious things. I believe that they've convinced you that you are gay and that there is nothing you can do about it."
Later in the conversation I tried to engage them in more secular topics. I asked if they thought it was fair that GLBT folks can be discriminated against in house and employment. The agreed that it isn't fair. Then I asked about civil marriage and whether or not they think it is fair to deny that legal status to anyone. Some of them struggled with this question. They kept going back to religious marriage and talking about what God wants. I reminded them that I was talking about a legal status and nothing else. A few of them agreed that we should be allowed that status, but one boy still struggled. "I just have a really hard time taking the religious aspect out of it." Then that same boy mentioned the campaign against using the word gay to mean stupid (there is a clever ad campaign direct at teens that use the phrase "that's so gay" to mean "that's so stupid"). He said these ads were ineffective, that really we should just let it go in one ear and out the other and we'd be better off. I explained that I disagreed. That back in the day a lot of people though the blacks in the south would be better off if they just stayed quiet in the back of the bus." One of the girls then chimed in, "Yeah, if they aren't going to stand up for themselves, who is going to stand up for them?" Then, I asked them how they felt about people of other faiths - namely Muslims and Jews. "Well, really devout Muslims hate Christians. In the middle east if a Muslim sees a Christian he'll just pull out an AK-47 right away." I explained that this wasn't true and they didn't agree.
Just then Larry was finishing up with his group (which had multiplied like Gremlins in water) and I looked at my watch. It was 9:30pm meaning we had been at it for an hour. I told them we had to pack up and we all said goodbye. All in all it was a good conversation. They seemed like really good, if terribly misguided kids. Maybe it's the complete lack of diversity in Mount Vernon that accounts for some of the ignorance about people of other faiths. Whatever it is, it really needs to be rectified.
Here's what Larry had to say about his experience talking with the other group:
"Six boys jaunted by, eager to engage in a somewhat heated discussion regarding how they were really concerned about our welfare - that is how we could be Christian and claim to be homosexuals. Through their faith and 'Christianity' and homosexuality do not go hand in hand. 'Isn't the bible the literal word of God? And if someone does not believe that, then that person does not have faith in God's word. Homosexuality is not from God, nor are people born gay.' Many prayers were offered for our salvation. Some of the other comments made included: Job confronted a dinosaur which is described in the bible. Cavemen and women did not exist. Adam and Eve were pretty much like we are today. They didn't believe in evolution."
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Day 3 at the Fair, part II (Tuesday, July 28, 2009)
3:35pm Two people from the career center, about to graduate as RNs, one man and one woman stopped by and thanked us for being here. They also picked up information.
3:40pm Another visitor - A gay man with his gay roommate. He said he came last year and our booth was one of the reasons he came to the fair again this year.
3:47pm A boy stopped by and took some candy. He then asked his friends, "Hey, do you think this is gay candy?" Larry responded, "Yes, it is!"
3:47pm A lady stopped by, made a generous donation and thanked us for our work.
3:55pm A man walked past the booth saying, "it's all sin..." Victoria's notes say he went on and on being unkind.
At this point the three interactions with the gentlemen from the baptist temple (as explained by Victoria in the last post) took place. After the 8 year old boy, who was sent by the people in the baptist temple's booth showed us the bible verses and explained to our members that we were sinners, left a young teenage girl (12 - 14) came up to Robert sitting at the booth and said, "You just told my brother it's ok to be gay. It's not it's a sin and it's in the bible." Robert actually didn't say that to the boy, he had only just arrived.
6:27pm Sasha from the Freedom Center (which has a booth across the way) stopped by and said, "I just wanted to stop by and say I'm glad you all are here. You're turning a lot of heads and that's a good thing."
6:37pm Ruth came by and talked about how good this is, and told Robert about her gay grandson, who is getting his PhD, and how close he is to their son, who is his gay uncle.
6:43pm Tom stopped by, he goes to the First Congregational church where we hold our meetings. Always nice to see a friendly face.
7:02pm A kid came by and said that people are created to be straight and Robert launched into his response: "You have a friend or family member who is gay and they are afraid to tell you because they are afraid you won't love them anymore." The boy said, "Well, I'd love them anyway." He then asked us if we are gay and when four of us said "yes" he just said, "you're kidding me!"
7:14pm A person stopped by and wanted one of our flags, we gave him some literature.
8:16pm A man named David came by to say that we're using a lot of hate language in our signage in talking about bigots. Robert thanked him for pointing that out and he replied, "maybe I've said too much."
8:18pm A woman with a little boy came by to pick up some literature and took the Soul Force pamphlet.
8:21pm A woman pushing another in a wheelchair said, "We're married. We want to get involved in this." They have a 17 year old son.
8:40pm Monica, Chris and Sophie came to the booth with a couple and their two kids from their church in Centerburg.
3:40pm Another visitor - A gay man with his gay roommate. He said he came last year and our booth was one of the reasons he came to the fair again this year.
3:47pm A boy stopped by and took some candy. He then asked his friends, "Hey, do you think this is gay candy?" Larry responded, "Yes, it is!"
3:47pm A lady stopped by, made a generous donation and thanked us for our work.
3:55pm A man walked past the booth saying, "it's all sin..." Victoria's notes say he went on and on being unkind.
At this point the three interactions with the gentlemen from the baptist temple (as explained by Victoria in the last post) took place. After the 8 year old boy, who was sent by the people in the baptist temple's booth showed us the bible verses and explained to our members that we were sinners, left a young teenage girl (12 - 14) came up to Robert sitting at the booth and said, "You just told my brother it's ok to be gay. It's not it's a sin and it's in the bible." Robert actually didn't say that to the boy, he had only just arrived.
6:27pm Sasha from the Freedom Center (which has a booth across the way) stopped by and said, "I just wanted to stop by and say I'm glad you all are here. You're turning a lot of heads and that's a good thing."
6:37pm Ruth came by and talked about how good this is, and told Robert about her gay grandson, who is getting his PhD, and how close he is to their son, who is his gay uncle.
6:43pm Tom stopped by, he goes to the First Congregational church where we hold our meetings. Always nice to see a friendly face.
7:02pm A kid came by and said that people are created to be straight and Robert launched into his response: "You have a friend or family member who is gay and they are afraid to tell you because they are afraid you won't love them anymore." The boy said, "Well, I'd love them anyway." He then asked us if we are gay and when four of us said "yes" he just said, "you're kidding me!"
7:14pm A person stopped by and wanted one of our flags, we gave him some literature.
8:16pm A man named David came by to say that we're using a lot of hate language in our signage in talking about bigots. Robert thanked him for pointing that out and he replied, "maybe I've said too much."
8:18pm A woman with a little boy came by to pick up some literature and took the Soul Force pamphlet.
8:21pm A woman pushing another in a wheelchair said, "We're married. We want to get involved in this." They have a 17 year old son.
8:40pm Monica, Chris and Sophie came to the booth with a couple and their two kids from their church in Centerburg.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Experiences from the First Day at the Fair (Sunday, July 26, 2009)
[NB I know this is a little late in getting posted, but fair week has been hectic so far. I have only been able to type our experiences from the first day because I brought my computer with me yesterday to the fair!]
We had a great opening day of the fair. Kate and I opened the booth. Joan worked for several hours, and Larry, Tony, Martha, and Gwen worked the afternoon and evening shifts. It is wonderful to have so many willing volunteers this year. It makes all the difference—thanks to everyone who is volunteering this week. Here is a sample of comments and interactions we recorded:
11:16 am Lady passing by: “Gay-Straight . . . huh . . . what does that mean?” Kate explains. Lady: “Oh, okay, I was just curious what it meant.”
12:11 pm A lady asked what our booth was all about, and Kate explained. The lady wanted to know if this was some sort of movement to make gay people straight. We explained that GSAs are not designed to convert anyone one way or another, but rather that the purpose of most GSAs are for both gay and straight people to support one another.
12:15 pm A lady and a young boy stopped by, took literature from Equality Ohio about the laws in Ohio that exclude sexual orientation and gender identity. The woman was surprised that it is still legal to fire someone because they are gay.
12:30 pm A young boy (12–14 years old) and his mom and grandma were walking past the booth. He started to walk over to us to get a piece a candy. The mom tried to hold him back. He just pushed her hand away and came over here anyway. He took a piece, said thank you, and then left. The mom just kept walking. I think much of the resistance we encounter these days come from older generations. I think the younger generations are getting it!
1:00 pm A young family stopped by and took literature and candy. They were very pleasant and said thanks.
3:10 pm A high school student came up to our booth and said, “Okay, I don’t want to read anything right now, but I have a question. Are you for or against gays?” (the standby question we heard so much last year). Tony replied, “We believe in equal treatment for all people.” Then she gave us two thumbs up and seemed pleased.
Martha’s report for the afternoon shift:
3:55 pm We were talking with each other, minding our own business, when we heard a pop from behind the tent. Then we smelled something. Upon investigation, we found someone had set off a “fart bomb” behind the tent.
5:20 pm A woman with a Red Cross shirt stopped by. A friend of hers has a son who graduated from high school a few years ago. She believes the son is gay but the mother is not supportive and the son is closeted. She took some lieterature. (Note—she looked at our booth for a long time before coming over, and we all assumed from her facial expression that disapproved of us. But we were wrong!)
5:45 pm A man, two women, and child stopped by. They were supportive. One woman’s uncle had married but struggled with his sexuality his whole life. The man’s boss and office manager are partners and he has no problem with it. “Let them marry—let them be as miserable as the rest of us!”
7:25 pm Three teenagers stopped by. They are supportive and took bumper stickers for their cars.
7:30 pm A woman stopped by and asked if Dawn was here. She wanted to say hi. She put a few dollars in our bowl. We asked her how she was enjoying the fair and she replied, “you know, it is what it is.” :)
7:40 pm Dale, the balloon man from the Wordless Book booth across the way, stopped by to talk. He asked how we explained Romans and Tony launched into his explanation of Romans and they continued to have a pleasant civil conversation. When he said he thought being gay was a choice and/or that it was the result of poor upbringing, Larry shared his story. When we asked Dale when he chose to be heterosexual, he said he didn’t, he was born that way. We nodded and said yes!—that’s the way it works for gay people too. He took a Soulforce pamphlet, a God vs. Gays pamphlet, and The Only Question That Matters pamphlet, and he said he’d ask his pastor about it. He also asked why God didn’t make Adam & Steve instead of Adam & Eve. Tony responded that it’s likely that Adam & Eve has all aspects of all people built in their DNA—including people of all sexual orientations.
8:05 pm A woman passed by, waved and said hi.” :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Last Day at the Fair
It was incredibly nice to sleep in yesterday and know that we are done with the fair for this year. I took a little more time before posting this entry because I had so much I wanted to say. The entire experience has been remarkable. I am very glad I had this opportunity to try to open the minds and hearts of our fellow Ohioans. (Kate came up with that phrase "opening minds and hearts" on Saturday while we were working; we thought it might make a nice slogan for the Knox GSA.)
Saturday, our last day at the fair, was both challenging and rewarding. Kate and I worked the booth in the morning. Sue, Therese, and their three wonderful children worked the booth with us for most of the afternoon and early evening. They brought a crock pot full of delicious creamed chicken, which was the best meal I have had all week! We have amazing friends. Dawn and Alexis also worked the booth with us during the afternoon, and Kim came by in the evening to help. I am grateful for all of the help these generous people have given us. Thank you!
I have found that as the week progressed, more and more people were feeling comfortable approaching our booth, particularly those who were not so friendly. Still, we had a number of sympathetic visitors yesterday, too. Here is a sample of our experiences, both positive and negative:
A man approached the booth, and said "Explain to me what 'gay-straight' is."
Kate: "It means we are a group of straight and gay people who believe in equality."
Man: "Equality, huh? Well, why is there a cross on that sign?" (He was referring to the DGSCA logo.)
Kate: "We are three organizations. That is the Delaware Gay-Straight Christian Alliance, which is a group of both gay and straight Christians who believe in equality for gay and straight people."
Man: "Those words, 'gay-straight' shouldn't go with 'Christian.'"
Kate: "'Straight' shouldn't go with 'Christian'?"
Man: "No, 'straight' and 'Christian' is fine. 'Gay' and 'Christian' is wrong. It's right there in the bible. It's wrong." Then the man walked away.
I guess the best part of this encounter was that another person passing by, who overheard the conversation, put his hands to his head and made a "nah-nah-nee-boo-boo" gesture (yes, very mature) toward the man who was walking away. I hate to admit it, but that made us feel a lot better!
During the one o'clock hour, a woman wearing an "I-support-John-Freshwater--GOD" t-shirt came by with a bootleg printout of bible verses that she wanted me to give to Tony. She said that Tony had told her that her translation of the bible was wrong and that she was following up with him. The funny thing is that nowhere on the printout does it explain anything about her translations, and I am pretty sure that someone just did a hasty search on the internet to compile the information. Funnier still, another lady (a friend of this visitor), came by in the evening with a copy of the same printout, typos and all. I would post a copy of it online just to show these people's idiocy, but that would not be very kind.
We finally had our first positive encounter around 1:30 when a young lady from a local Christian radio station approached our booth. At this point, I had braced myself for the worst; I simply assumed she was stopping at our booth to tell us that homosexuality is wrong. But, fortunately, it turns out I was mistaken. This lady told us that she found out about last month's Pride Celebration Potluck and had wanted to promote it on the radio station, but her superiors would not allow her to do that. She argued, "Well you know, Jesus is going to be at that potluck!"
(Along the same lines, I'd like to think that if Jesus were still around today, he would have been sitting with us at our Knox GSA booth, wearing Birkenstock sandals and helping us educate others!)
The young lady told us that personally she has been conflicted between the constraints of the Nazarene and her compassion for her gay friends and her knowledge of the struggles they have experienced. She stayed awhile longer and continued to talk to us. It was an uplifting conversation. She mentioned that she entered the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University as a conservative Christian and now she is a more open-minded democrat. She also told us that there are many gay students at the Naz. Her theory is that parents will often send their gay children there in hope that can be changed. She said that she has hope for the future at the Naz, that it is changing because more and more open-minded people are coming into the church. She also mentioned, as evidence of this, that recently they changed the manual to allow social drinking. (The ban on dancing was lifted some 20 years ago.)
The sad and ironic thing about this wonderful encounter is that prejudged her simply because I saw her wearing a MVNU radio station shirt and had assumed the worst. I admitted this and apologized to her before she left. (Just goes to show me that I need to remember not to judge others myself.) Kate said to me after she left, "That's the hope for me. A girl immersed in [conservative Christianity] can make up her mind not to treat us any differently." Her visit really made our day.
During the four o'clock hour an angry lady approached our booth: "So what do you stand for?"
Us: "Equality."
Lady: "I'm all for equality, but it is not right. Have you read the bible? Sodom and Gomorrah?" (Note the logic, or lack thereof, in the lady's words. NB Sodom and Gomorrah is about hospitality and rape, not homosexuality.)
During the five o'clock hour, a kid passing by said, "Not my kind of gay." We weren't sure how to take that.
A kind man who had been a United Methodist Minister asked us how we have been received especially in such a conservative atmosphere. He took our literature and was very supportive.
During the six o'clock hour, another man approached us and asked, "Are you for or against gays?" (This seems to be a very common question!)
Us: "For . . . we are for equality."
Man: "I could care less." He seemed disgusted and walked away.
A woman came to our table and said excitedly, "It's about time!" She seemed very glad we were here.
During the seven o'clock hour, a senior from East Knox High School said, "I love what you're doing." Kate asked if she needed information and then explained about the three groups at the booth. The senior said the students are going to speak with the principal again this year to see if they can get some sort of group started. Kate asked, "A gay-straight alliance?"
The young woman: "No, maybe something else we can get them to agree to."
Kate: "Like a diversity group or something?"
Young woman: "Yeah. We did something for the Day of Silence this past year, and over 30 kids wore buttons. Not all of them were silent, but they did wear buttons. We hope to have more people doing it this year now that there is more awareness." After the conversation, she signed up for the e-mail list and also took a pamphlet. She then went to see her friends and showed them the pamphlet.
Another girl took some candy, saw the Soulforce booklet and began flipping through it. Kate said, "You can take that if you want."
Girl: "I just want to know if homosexuals are good or bad."
Kate: "Well, I'm a homosexual, and I'd like to think I'm good."
Meredith: "She's good." (Thanks for vouching for my girlfriend, Meredith!)
Another passer by: "I'm not for or against homosexuals. I mean I have friends who are homos. I know a lot of homosexuals. . . . I just wanted some information." (I think we also need to do some educating on appropriate and inappropriate language! Most gay people I know don't like to be called homos!)
We also had some positive reactions when we asked folks if they knew people could legally be fired or denied housing just for being gay and if they would sign the FIRED cards. Here is a sample of those responses:
"You're kidding! You can be fired for that?"
"One's sexuality shouldn't matter. . . . A friend of mine got fired from major national company just for being gay."
One woman signed a FIRED card and then took 2 for her sister and brother-in-law to sign. I have been very pleased with the number of people who seemed compelled to spread the message to others.
All together, we collected 101 FIRED cards over the course of the week. That is amazing to me. Most of those who filled out the cards are Knox County residents, which gives me hope. We also have collected many e-mail addresses to add to our e-mailing list. We now have 84 subscribers all together!
Of course, I am glad now that the fair has concluded, but after reflecting yesterday on our many experiences, I feel overjoyed with the positive responses we had, in addition to our many opportunities to educate people here. This had been an incredibly powerful experience for me, and I feel fortunate to have had this amazing opportunity. I look forward to our continued presence in Knox County, at next year's fair and beyond. Thanks again to all who helped staff the booth and to friends who stopped by to show their support. We could not have done it without you!
Saturday, our last day at the fair, was both challenging and rewarding. Kate and I worked the booth in the morning. Sue, Therese, and their three wonderful children worked the booth with us for most of the afternoon and early evening. They brought a crock pot full of delicious creamed chicken, which was the best meal I have had all week! We have amazing friends. Dawn and Alexis also worked the booth with us during the afternoon, and Kim came by in the evening to help. I am grateful for all of the help these generous people have given us. Thank you!
I have found that as the week progressed, more and more people were feeling comfortable approaching our booth, particularly those who were not so friendly. Still, we had a number of sympathetic visitors yesterday, too. Here is a sample of our experiences, both positive and negative:
A man approached the booth, and said "Explain to me what 'gay-straight' is."
Kate: "It means we are a group of straight and gay people who believe in equality."
Man: "Equality, huh? Well, why is there a cross on that sign?" (He was referring to the DGSCA logo.)
Kate: "We are three organizations. That is the Delaware Gay-Straight Christian Alliance, which is a group of both gay and straight Christians who believe in equality for gay and straight people."
Man: "Those words, 'gay-straight' shouldn't go with 'Christian.'"
Kate: "'Straight' shouldn't go with 'Christian'?"
Man: "No, 'straight' and 'Christian' is fine. 'Gay' and 'Christian' is wrong. It's right there in the bible. It's wrong." Then the man walked away.
I guess the best part of this encounter was that another person passing by, who overheard the conversation, put his hands to his head and made a "nah-nah-nee-boo-boo" gesture (yes, very mature) toward the man who was walking away. I hate to admit it, but that made us feel a lot better!
During the one o'clock hour, a woman wearing an "I-support-John-Freshwater--GOD" t-shirt came by with a bootleg printout of bible verses that she wanted me to give to Tony. She said that Tony had told her that her translation of the bible was wrong and that she was following up with him. The funny thing is that nowhere on the printout does it explain anything about her translations, and I am pretty sure that someone just did a hasty search on the internet to compile the information. Funnier still, another lady (a friend of this visitor), came by in the evening with a copy of the same printout, typos and all. I would post a copy of it online just to show these people's idiocy, but that would not be very kind.
We finally had our first positive encounter around 1:30 when a young lady from a local Christian radio station approached our booth. At this point, I had braced myself for the worst; I simply assumed she was stopping at our booth to tell us that homosexuality is wrong. But, fortunately, it turns out I was mistaken. This lady told us that she found out about last month's Pride Celebration Potluck and had wanted to promote it on the radio station, but her superiors would not allow her to do that. She argued, "Well you know, Jesus is going to be at that potluck!"
(Along the same lines, I'd like to think that if Jesus were still around today, he would have been sitting with us at our Knox GSA booth, wearing Birkenstock sandals and helping us educate others!)
The young lady told us that personally she has been conflicted between the constraints of the Nazarene and her compassion for her gay friends and her knowledge of the struggles they have experienced. She stayed awhile longer and continued to talk to us. It was an uplifting conversation. She mentioned that she entered the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University as a conservative Christian and now she is a more open-minded democrat. She also told us that there are many gay students at the Naz. Her theory is that parents will often send their gay children there in hope that can be changed. She said that she has hope for the future at the Naz, that it is changing because more and more open-minded people are coming into the church. She also mentioned, as evidence of this, that recently they changed the manual to allow social drinking. (The ban on dancing was lifted some 20 years ago.)
The sad and ironic thing about this wonderful encounter is that prejudged her simply because I saw her wearing a MVNU radio station shirt and had assumed the worst. I admitted this and apologized to her before she left. (Just goes to show me that I need to remember not to judge others myself.) Kate said to me after she left, "That's the hope for me. A girl immersed in [conservative Christianity] can make up her mind not to treat us any differently." Her visit really made our day.
During the four o'clock hour an angry lady approached our booth: "So what do you stand for?"
Us: "Equality."
Lady: "I'm all for equality, but it is not right. Have you read the bible? Sodom and Gomorrah?" (Note the logic, or lack thereof, in the lady's words. NB Sodom and Gomorrah is about hospitality and rape, not homosexuality.)
During the five o'clock hour, a kid passing by said, "Not my kind of gay." We weren't sure how to take that.
A kind man who had been a United Methodist Minister asked us how we have been received especially in such a conservative atmosphere. He took our literature and was very supportive.
During the six o'clock hour, another man approached us and asked, "Are you for or against gays?" (This seems to be a very common question!)
Us: "For . . . we are for equality."
Man: "I could care less." He seemed disgusted and walked away.
A woman came to our table and said excitedly, "It's about time!" She seemed very glad we were here.
During the seven o'clock hour, a senior from East Knox High School said, "I love what you're doing." Kate asked if she needed information and then explained about the three groups at the booth. The senior said the students are going to speak with the principal again this year to see if they can get some sort of group started. Kate asked, "A gay-straight alliance?"
The young woman: "No, maybe something else we can get them to agree to."
Kate: "Like a diversity group or something?"
Young woman: "Yeah. We did something for the Day of Silence this past year, and over 30 kids wore buttons. Not all of them were silent, but they did wear buttons. We hope to have more people doing it this year now that there is more awareness." After the conversation, she signed up for the e-mail list and also took a pamphlet. She then went to see her friends and showed them the pamphlet.
Another girl took some candy, saw the Soulforce booklet and began flipping through it. Kate said, "You can take that if you want."
Girl: "I just want to know if homosexuals are good or bad."
Kate: "Well, I'm a homosexual, and I'd like to think I'm good."
Meredith: "She's good." (Thanks for vouching for my girlfriend, Meredith!)
Another passer by: "I'm not for or against homosexuals. I mean I have friends who are homos. I know a lot of homosexuals. . . . I just wanted some information." (I think we also need to do some educating on appropriate and inappropriate language! Most gay people I know don't like to be called homos!)
We also had some positive reactions when we asked folks if they knew people could legally be fired or denied housing just for being gay and if they would sign the FIRED cards. Here is a sample of those responses:
"You're kidding! You can be fired for that?"
"One's sexuality shouldn't matter. . . . A friend of mine got fired from major national company just for being gay."
One woman signed a FIRED card and then took 2 for her sister and brother-in-law to sign. I have been very pleased with the number of people who seemed compelled to spread the message to others.
All together, we collected 101 FIRED cards over the course of the week. That is amazing to me. Most of those who filled out the cards are Knox County residents, which gives me hope. We also have collected many e-mail addresses to add to our e-mailing list. We now have 84 subscribers all together!
Of course, I am glad now that the fair has concluded, but after reflecting yesterday on our many experiences, I feel overjoyed with the positive responses we had, in addition to our many opportunities to educate people here. This had been an incredibly powerful experience for me, and I feel fortunate to have had this amazing opportunity. I look forward to our continued presence in Knox County, at next year's fair and beyond. Thanks again to all who helped staff the booth and to friends who stopped by to show their support. We could not have done it without you!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Day 6 at the Fair
Yesterday was a long and taxing day. I kept notes throughout the day. Tony and I encountered our first visitor at 11:15, and it happened to be a hateful person. A day at the fair just would not be complete without a hateful person, now would it? Here's what happened:
Man: "What is this?"
Me: "Three organizations--The Delaware Gay-Straight Christian Alliance, Equality Ohio a statewide organization, and the Knox County Gay-Straight Alliance--all of which work toward and believe in equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation."
Man: "What does 'gay-straight' mean?" At this point, I could tell the man was hostile by his body language and tone of voice.
Tony: "Both gay and straight people working together equal rights for all people."
Man: "Well, you know where those people belong . . . in a hole."
Tony: "Why do you think that? Are you frightened by gay people?"
Man: "Yes, they don't have to be that way."
The exchange continued, and the man eventually said he wasn't frightened, but mad. He also said at one point that all gay people should be drowned. Ouch.
He also asked Tony, "Which part of the 'gay-straight' are you on?"
Tony: "Straight."
Man: "That's the right side to be on."
The exchange continued. I remained silent. The exchange ended with Tony saying to the man, "Please go. If you want to be hateful, just go." And then he did.
Wow. This exchange really hurt me more than the others, for some reason. Perhaps it is just the exhaustion of this entire endeavor, the cumulative effect of the handful of hateful things we've witnessed. It takes a toll.
Kate was saying yesterday that up until this past week she had believed that even if people thought mean things about us, they would never have the gumption to say those things to our faces. But, we've both learned that it is not the case, sadly enough.
After I wrote all of this down in my notebook yesterday morning right after it all happened, I decided that I needed to let it all go. I give these hateful people power when I engage them or allow myself to get caught up in what happened. If I can let it go, then they no longer have any power over me. Just wish it was that easy to do.
During the next few hours, Tony and I had a number of visitors to the booth, ranging from individuals simply looking for literature to folks who engaged us in meaningful conversations. One woman walked by, read the DGSCA sign and gave us a thumbs up. The deputy sheriff came by again (he stopped by earlier this week) and asked for another Soulforce pamphlet. The publication called "What the bible really says, and doesn't say, about homosexuality" is written by Mel White who was one of Jerry Falwell's speech writers until he came out as gay. This has, by far, been our most popular piece of literature. I have added a link to a .pdf of the booklet on our Knox County GSA website: http://www.knoxgsa.org-a.googlepages.com/downloadablematerials
Here are some of the things people said to us throughout the afternoon:
"My brother-in-law- lives in Indiana. He's a lawyer and for the longest time was afraid to be out at work. But now he is in a higher position and is out, but he was afraid for a long time."
"My good friend is bi, and I had lots of friends in high school that are gay. I knew it before some of them did!"
"This is cool. I've got two moms."
During the one o'clock hour, a man came up to the table and said in a combative tone, "What's this 'gay-straight' about? I heard you're here and wanted to know what this is all about. Tell me quickly." So I gave him a brief explanation, something along the lines of "basically straight and gay people who believe in equality for all people." he asked us if we promote homosexuality and we said no, we promote equal treatment for all. The conversation continued for a few minutes. The guy finally left and said, "I have to get going otherwise someone might think I'm gay. . . . Just kidding . . ." I think he was only half kidding.
Before Tony left around 2:30, we both had marveled at the looks of cognitive dissonance in the eyes of many passers by. I worked the booth by myself until Scott came by a little after 3:00. He witnessed quite a bit during his first hour at the booth. One boy called him a fag, which is interesting particularly because Scott is straight. Another teenage boy approached the table and asked, "Have you seen two lesbians have sex? Because I think it is hot." We said nothing. He persisted, "Have you? I really want to know." Some of these kids have a lot of growing up to do. Another teenage boy, a cowboy in training it seems, approached the table, spit on the ground, and asked "What's this all about?" When we told him, he shook his head and went back to his friends.
A few other folks stopped by, and we had encounters that were much more positive. But, by the time 9:00 pm rolled around, I was definitely ready to go home! We have just one more day at the fair--today--and it will be a long one. We cannot close our booth until after 11:00 pm so it is a good thing we were able to sleep in longer than normal this morning.
I took a short break last night, and evidently we had some more interesting visitors while I was gone. Kate took notes, and I imagine she will add her experiences to this blog soon.
Thanks again to all who have helped and visited us during the day. Kim joined us for a while in the evening, and it always makes such a difference to have supportive friends to help pass the time.
Man: "What is this?"
Me: "Three organizations--The Delaware Gay-Straight Christian Alliance, Equality Ohio a statewide organization, and the Knox County Gay-Straight Alliance--all of which work toward and believe in equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation."
Man: "What does 'gay-straight' mean?" At this point, I could tell the man was hostile by his body language and tone of voice.
Tony: "Both gay and straight people working together equal rights for all people."
Man: "Well, you know where those people belong . . . in a hole."
Tony: "Why do you think that? Are you frightened by gay people?"
Man: "Yes, they don't have to be that way."
The exchange continued, and the man eventually said he wasn't frightened, but mad. He also said at one point that all gay people should be drowned. Ouch.
He also asked Tony, "Which part of the 'gay-straight' are you on?"
Tony: "Straight."
Man: "That's the right side to be on."
The exchange continued. I remained silent. The exchange ended with Tony saying to the man, "Please go. If you want to be hateful, just go." And then he did.
Wow. This exchange really hurt me more than the others, for some reason. Perhaps it is just the exhaustion of this entire endeavor, the cumulative effect of the handful of hateful things we've witnessed. It takes a toll.
Kate was saying yesterday that up until this past week she had believed that even if people thought mean things about us, they would never have the gumption to say those things to our faces. But, we've both learned that it is not the case, sadly enough.
After I wrote all of this down in my notebook yesterday morning right after it all happened, I decided that I needed to let it all go. I give these hateful people power when I engage them or allow myself to get caught up in what happened. If I can let it go, then they no longer have any power over me. Just wish it was that easy to do.
During the next few hours, Tony and I had a number of visitors to the booth, ranging from individuals simply looking for literature to folks who engaged us in meaningful conversations. One woman walked by, read the DGSCA sign and gave us a thumbs up. The deputy sheriff came by again (he stopped by earlier this week) and asked for another Soulforce pamphlet. The publication called "What the bible really says, and doesn't say, about homosexuality" is written by Mel White who was one of Jerry Falwell's speech writers until he came out as gay. This has, by far, been our most popular piece of literature. I have added a link to a .pdf of the booklet on our Knox County GSA website: http://www.knoxgsa.org-a.googlepages.com/downloadablematerials
Here are some of the things people said to us throughout the afternoon:
"My brother-in-law- lives in Indiana. He's a lawyer and for the longest time was afraid to be out at work. But now he is in a higher position and is out, but he was afraid for a long time."
"My good friend is bi, and I had lots of friends in high school that are gay. I knew it before some of them did!"
"This is cool. I've got two moms."
During the one o'clock hour, a man came up to the table and said in a combative tone, "What's this 'gay-straight' about? I heard you're here and wanted to know what this is all about. Tell me quickly." So I gave him a brief explanation, something along the lines of "basically straight and gay people who believe in equality for all people." he asked us if we promote homosexuality and we said no, we promote equal treatment for all. The conversation continued for a few minutes. The guy finally left and said, "I have to get going otherwise someone might think I'm gay. . . . Just kidding . . ." I think he was only half kidding.
Before Tony left around 2:30, we both had marveled at the looks of cognitive dissonance in the eyes of many passers by. I worked the booth by myself until Scott came by a little after 3:00. He witnessed quite a bit during his first hour at the booth. One boy called him a fag, which is interesting particularly because Scott is straight. Another teenage boy approached the table and asked, "Have you seen two lesbians have sex? Because I think it is hot." We said nothing. He persisted, "Have you? I really want to know." Some of these kids have a lot of growing up to do. Another teenage boy, a cowboy in training it seems, approached the table, spit on the ground, and asked "What's this all about?" When we told him, he shook his head and went back to his friends.
A few other folks stopped by, and we had encounters that were much more positive. But, by the time 9:00 pm rolled around, I was definitely ready to go home! We have just one more day at the fair--today--and it will be a long one. We cannot close our booth until after 11:00 pm so it is a good thing we were able to sleep in longer than normal this morning.
I took a short break last night, and evidently we had some more interesting visitors while I was gone. Kate took notes, and I imagine she will add her experiences to this blog soon.
Thanks again to all who have helped and visited us during the day. Kim joined us for a while in the evening, and it always makes such a difference to have supportive friends to help pass the time.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Day 3 at the Fair
We had a very good day today. Tony and I arrived around 10:30. We had very little traffic in the morning and early afternoon, but it picked up after 2:00. We had many welcome visitors to our booth today: our friends from the First Congregational UCC--Keith, Erin, Robin and Isaac--stopped by and sat with us for awhile. It was really comforting to have such kind company throughout the afternoon. Penny also worked the booth with Tony and me for part of the afternoon.
Here is a sample of the responses of today's passers by when asked if they knew it was legal to fire someone in Ohio because of one's sexual orientation or gender identity and whether they would fill out a FIRED card:
"Oh yeah. . . . I'd be happy to sign a card."
"It's disgusting [that you can be fired for being gay]! Yes, I'll fill this out. Can I have three more for my family to fill out?"
Here are some other comments we heard throughout the afternoon:
"My godson just came out last year. . . . Grassroots is not my grass, but everyone's grass. . . . Thanks so much for what you are doing. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks. I hope you have many good conversations."
"We've been here for several days and passed by your booth. We were curious what this is all about. . . . Some people at my church are against [homosexuality] but I'd like to learn more about the issues." (These young visitors stayed for some time and took some of our literature. It is affirming to see so many young people thinking for themselves and recognizing how important equal rights are.)
One visitor to our booth recited a poem by memory that moved all of us (I'm still trying to figure out its proper attribution):
"Safe are those that slumber beneath Conviction's roof.
Their floors are sturdy lumber, their windows weatherproof.
But I sleep cold forever and cold sleep all my kind,
Born nakedly to shiver in the draft of an open mind."
Another repeat visitor, a high school student, came to our booth and recalled some of his negative experiences with one now notorious middle school teacher. The young man once wore a gay pride shirt to school and the teacher said to him, "God does not like gays." It is no wonder why the suicide rate is so high for GLBT youth!
We also delighted in the fact that we received several donations throughout the day.
I left the booth today a little after 5:00. I know that Kate, Tony, and Keith worked the booth during the evening so they may have more to add.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by today and those of you who have sent me such kind messages by e-mail and on this blog. I am really pleased with the work we are doing. I have not felt this purposeful in a long time.
Here is a sample of the responses of today's passers by when asked if they knew it was legal to fire someone in Ohio because of one's sexual orientation or gender identity and whether they would fill out a FIRED card:
"Oh yeah. . . . I'd be happy to sign a card."
"It's disgusting [that you can be fired for being gay]! Yes, I'll fill this out. Can I have three more for my family to fill out?"
Here are some other comments we heard throughout the afternoon:
"My godson just came out last year. . . . Grassroots is not my grass, but everyone's grass. . . . Thanks so much for what you are doing. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks. I hope you have many good conversations."
"We've been here for several days and passed by your booth. We were curious what this is all about. . . . Some people at my church are against [homosexuality] but I'd like to learn more about the issues." (These young visitors stayed for some time and took some of our literature. It is affirming to see so many young people thinking for themselves and recognizing how important equal rights are.)
One visitor to our booth recited a poem by memory that moved all of us (I'm still trying to figure out its proper attribution):
"Safe are those that slumber beneath Conviction's roof.
Their floors are sturdy lumber, their windows weatherproof.
But I sleep cold forever and cold sleep all my kind,
Born nakedly to shiver in the draft of an open mind."
Another repeat visitor, a high school student, came to our booth and recalled some of his negative experiences with one now notorious middle school teacher. The young man once wore a gay pride shirt to school and the teacher said to him, "God does not like gays." It is no wonder why the suicide rate is so high for GLBT youth!
We also delighted in the fact that we received several donations throughout the day.
I left the booth today a little after 5:00. I know that Kate, Tony, and Keith worked the booth during the evening so they may have more to add.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by today and those of you who have sent me such kind messages by e-mail and on this blog. I am really pleased with the work we are doing. I have not felt this purposeful in a long time.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Our first day at the Knox County Fair
I am so pumped! We had an incredible first day hosting the Gay-Straight Alliance booth at the Knox County Fair. There were three of us--Tony, Kate, and me--manning the booth today. I have been inspired to set up this new blog to commemorate the experience and share the many wonderful exchanges we had with visitors during the event. Here is a sample of some of the things that we heard today as people approached our table:
"I'm so glad you are here. . . . I did not know we had anything like this."
"My sister is gay."
"I have a friend who is gay."
"A lot of people in my family are gay. My mom and my aunt are gay. Another aunt I have is bisexual."
"I saw you in the Pride Parade and I thought, 'how cool, I did not know there was anything like that in Knox County.'"
"I like your rainbow."
"I have a lot of gay and lesbian friends. . . . It is a shame people can be so ignorant. . . . Thank you for being here."
"I'm so glad you're here."
"This is so cool."
One man shared his story having lived in the closet for the past ten years and is just now coming to terms with living as who he truly is.
A youngster who attends East Knox HS was delighted to see our booth and told us of the difficulties he faced in trying to set up a GSA at his school.
Many of our fair booth neighbors came by and introduced themselves before the crowds showed up. All were so kind and supportive.
We also gathered at least five new e-mail addresses to add to our main mailing list and some ten FIRED cards (an initiative spearheaded by Equality Ohio).
Overall, I think it was a great start to the fair week.
"I'm so glad you are here. . . . I did not know we had anything like this."
"My sister is gay."
"I have a friend who is gay."
"A lot of people in my family are gay. My mom and my aunt are gay. Another aunt I have is bisexual."
"I saw you in the Pride Parade and I thought, 'how cool, I did not know there was anything like that in Knox County.'"
"I like your rainbow."
"I have a lot of gay and lesbian friends. . . . It is a shame people can be so ignorant. . . . Thank you for being here."
"I'm so glad you're here."
"This is so cool."
One man shared his story having lived in the closet for the past ten years and is just now coming to terms with living as who he truly is.
A youngster who attends East Knox HS was delighted to see our booth and told us of the difficulties he faced in trying to set up a GSA at his school.
Many of our fair booth neighbors came by and introduced themselves before the crowds showed up. All were so kind and supportive.
We also gathered at least five new e-mail addresses to add to our main mailing list and some ten FIRED cards (an initiative spearheaded by Equality Ohio).
Overall, I think it was a great start to the fair week.
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